Today I am so pleased to welcome Theo Fenraven and the rest of the gang from the Transgender* Romance Writer’s Blog Hop. Theo has also brought along an excerpt and a great giveaway.  Please join me in giving them a big welcome!

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I want to thank Joyfully Jay for having us on her site. We appreciate the opportunity to discuss transgender* romance. I gathered several other writers of M/M romance who have written transgender* romances and asked them all the same ten questions. This blog will have the answer to number three and highlight a book (Transgression by Theo Fenraven).

We want to encourage your participation in this hop so please comment or ask us questions for a chance to win:

  • 1 of 2 $20 Amazon gift cards
  • 1 of 1 $20 online retailers B&N, ARE, or Amazon
  • 1 of 1 $15 gift card
  • 1 e-book copy of Groom of Convenience
  • 1 e-book copy of Illusions & Dreams
  • 1 e-book copy of Transgression

The winners will be picked after our last stop March 5th. We will notify you by e-mail.

It is our hope the same way you fell in love with gay characters and now fight intolerance & promote equality we want you to adore our transgender* characters. We want you to witness their strengths, their struggles, their flaws and root for their victories in love because in doing so you’re going to understand a little bit more about their lives. And we hope you will fight transphobia just as hard as you fight homophobia.

What type of research did you do when it came to writing a transgender* character?

Sara York: Every book requires research. I looked up information, I read accounts from transgender people, I watched movies, and I talked to people. Being observant is part of being a writer.

Kimberly Gardner: I limited my research to nonfiction books and articles. Josie’s emotions and experiences are entirely her own, but it was important to me that there be an authenticity in what she says and does and feels. Also it was very important to me that I get the details right with regard to some of the physical aspects of living as a trans woman.

Z. Allora: My story is set in Thailand. I’ve actually been to every place in my book. I’ve gone to shows talked to the performers and club owners to understand the Thai mindset. (Yes I was even bit by a baby tiger.) I have a number of friends who happened to be transgender*. They were generous enough to answer some questions and help me refine my story.

Corvus Alyse: I think this particular plot bunny happened after doing a WHOLE lot of trans* research and looking at different sides of the coin. Personally, I have never felt comfortable in the skin I was born in, as a female. I felt limited and vulnerable in ways that I didn’t understand. In the very religious, pre-internet world I grew up in, there were no terms for what I felt. There was intense pressure to conform, to the church, to the beliefs of my parents, to society as a whole. So I shelved it, did what I had to do, like many others before me. After becoming an adult, life just got really busy, so it was some years before I felt the freedom to pursue this area of research on a personal level. The main character draws a lot from me, who I have come to understand portrays many facets of me.

Ethan Stone: I read a lot of blogs and websites regarding female to male trans*, the surgeries, the transitions, etc.

Vicktor Alexander: A lot of it was pulling on my own feelings, but I am a part of numerous trans* supports on Facebook, Yahoo, and through the VA here in Central Florida. I’ve done research on surgeries, the history on violence, labelling, etc. on Google, talked with doctors not just for my books but because I’m transitioning and a lot of that I’ve used to help round out my own characters.

Theo Fenraven: I talked to a few people and researched online. I’m gender fluid, so some of my experiences showed up in the book too.


Excerpt

Transgression by Theo Fenraven

Zach didn’t realize how drunk he was until he left the club and tried to get into the car. His foot slipped off the running board twice, and he stopped, swaying slightly, looking at his friend over the top of the vehicle.

“Can’t drive, Andy.” He closed the door and leaned against it. “What shape are you in?”

Grinning, Andy came around to the driver’s side. “Better than you, by far.” He opened the door. “Get in, slide over, and open the window in case you need to puke.”

Laughing, Zach crawled in, climbed clumsily over the center console, and collapsed in the passenger seat. “Not gonna puke. I never puke.”

Andy got behind the wheel, inserted the key, and started the car. “Bullshit. What about the time we were at that party in the Hills? You know, last summer.”

“Sarah’s birthday? Oh, yeah, I did kind of lose it that night, didn’t I?” Slipping down onto his tailbone, he propped his sneakered feet on the dash, bracing himself against movement.

Snorting, Andy merged into traffic. “The inside of that car had to be cleaned twice.”

Zach giggled. “Sorry. Promise! No upchucking tonight.”

“Hey, I don’t give a shit. It’s your car.”

They drove to Santa Monica Boulevard. It was a chilly night with a light breeze. Zach wished he could see the stars, but the light pollution was so bad, nothing in the heavens was visible.

“You were hitting the liquor hard. What’s up?”

Zach was still peering up through the windshield, trying to see anything other than the light umbrella over the city. “Can’t sleep lately. I thought it might help.”

Andy shook his head. “No, no, you pass out on liquor, but then you’re awake again a few hours later.”

Leaning back in the seat, he glanced at his friend. “Then what do you suggest?”

“I know someone who can fix you right up. You don’t have anything against natural herbs and stuff, do you?”

“Herbs are good. Minimal side effects, right?”

“Right. I know someone.” He pulled into the right-hand turn lane at the next light. “Ever heard of Sky?”

Zach burst into laughter. “What, that stuff over our heads? Supposed to be blue but is often a dirty gray? Yeah, I have a passing familiarity with it.”

“Asshole. I’m talking about a person. Sky is sort of the unofficial herbalist in this town. Does her own distillations and mixtures, sells them to whoever wants them. Also happens to read palms, and I swear to god, she’s psychic. The real thing, not like those twits who talk to you over the phone for five bucks a minute.” He turned left, then right again, driving into Laurel Canyon. “She told me the woman I was seeing a few months ago was shagging someone else, and I found out a week later she was.”

Zach rolled his eyes. “In this town, everyone is shagging everyone else. That’s not prescience, it’s a fact.”

“Fine, don’t believe me, but she can fix you up with something that will help you sleep naturally. I’m taking you there now.”

Get Transgression at Amazon. Visit Fen’s Blog.


Blurb

Transgression-Pic

Zachary Fox can’t sleep.

His acting career is taking off. Public recognition is picking up. Now more than ever, he understands how key reputation is to his success. But his relationship with his co-star, Kris—arranged around publicity rather than genuine feelings—is suffocating him. She once understood his needs, but her demands are beginning to grate with every shrill order she gives.

Zach has a secret. The breakout star of a new medical series, he’s been hiding his orientation from co-stars, friends and family, the studio, and his fans.

On the recommendation of a friend, Zach seeks out Sky Kelly, a well-connected herbalist whose concoctions are natural magic, as is her stunning beauty. On the surface, she has it all: her own house, a thriving business, and good friends, but the things she had to do to get there are a time bomb ticking away, and when it goes off, she’ll be teetering on the edge of a chasm that can put her right back where she started.

Sky has secrets. Like, she’s got a Y chromosome and the original equipment to go with it. Like being a highly paid escort. Like, if Zach is seen with her in public, it could ruin his career. Like someone becoming so obsessed with Sky, that obsession threatens them both.

Secrets… everyone is hiding something, and instead of finding The One, it could be The End.


Giveaway

The gang from the blog hop has brought a selection of great prizes they are giving away on the tour. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on at 11:59 pm EST.

Prizes include: 2 $20 Amazon gift cards, 1 $20 online retailer gift card to B&N, ARE, or Amazon, 1 $15 gift card, 1 e-book copy of Groom of Convenience, 1 e-book copy of Illusions & Dreams, and 1 e-book copy of Transgression. The winners will be picked after our last stop March 5th. We will notify you by e-mail.

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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