Many have asked how I could possibly come up with #LGBT stories, particularly when the protagonists are males.  While the question makes a lot of sense, I find the response far easier to come by than most would realize.

I am moved by romance between two people.  What I write comes from the heart and the people who play the central characters in my books have the qualities of those I admire or have known throughout my life.  The gender or sexual orientation of those people are less important than the essence of their character and what drives them to make the choices throughout the book.

Although it might seem markedly different, I imagine writing, and developing a character and story, is very similar to acting.  I experience my characters’ thoughts and emotions, and the one whose point of view I am composing from, becomes a part of me, and me with him or her.  It is as if I literally see his/her experiences as they are happening and write from a place of complete awareness and immersion.

In addition, I have always written about places and people in careers, or who have extracurricular activities, I can relate to. While most of my characters have been a bit younger than I currently am, there are many life experiences that are cross-generational, or that I remember vividly. My habit of truly taking interest (without being intrusive) of those in the world around me, I try to capture moments I view as I go about my day-to-day life.

Recently, I’ve taken a much broader leap into the world of Young Adult (YA) LGBT fiction. Although I have not been a teen for quite some time, I have raised two teens and taught quite a few during my years as an educator.

The ability to place myself in thoughts of my upcoming protagonist, David, in my novel, Run For It All, also has to do with our mutual passion for running and all the benefits it can bring.

I look forward to the day I can share the upcoming cover and release date for this new novel!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  As you can imagine, I love chatting about the books I’ve written, and those currently in progress.