Today I am so pleased to welcome Hans M Hirschi to Joyfully Jay. Hans has come to talk to us about his latest release, Jonathan’s Promise. He has also brought along a great tour wide giveaway. Please join me in giving Hans a big welcome!

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First of all, thank you for hosting the book tour for Jonathan’s Promise today, and thanks for the opportunity to guest blog. I really appreciate it.

Writing fiction is usually fantasy, it’s based in our imagination, and that is particularly true for my own writing. It’s character driven, I hardly ever know where a story takes me. Yes, I have images in my mind, but I’m often surprised as to where my characters take me, and more often than not, it’s an emotional roller-coaster. No matter how often I read through a manuscript, there are triggers that just make me laugh, or cry.

But, as authors, we also have a responsibility to the story, to the world, and as a gay writer, I think that responsibility is even greater: to make sure our stories are diverse. While I’d hope that all writers thought about this, we know that many straight humans just don’t get it. They haven’t been sensitized to the topic, and how do you write about strong women if you don’t even see the problem of gender inequality? How do you include gay characters if you don’t know any?

I try to make sure to include diversity, not necessarily in your face, but subtle. So at one point, when a het couple marries, they choose the girl’s name as their family name, subtle, but a beacon of light nonetheless. Cody, one of the main characters in the story is colored. His mom is from the Ivory Coast, her ancestors having been brought to America on one of the first slave ships. His father, Georgian. I also try to include disability in my stories, from Spanish Bay, which is all about the subject to Cody being blind.

You’ll also see that many of my important side characters are female, strong, successful. Chicago’s lord mayor is a woman, the mayor in the Opera House is female. No big deal for me, but in the world out there, it still raises eye brows. It’s not difficult, but you have to remember, and even a small sentence, like this one, are important:

“There was even talk she might one day run for president.”

Yes, I know, we currently have a woman running for president, but still, to most people it’s still the proverbial exception to the rule. After all, even in this year’s field, there were two women to eighteen men! Not to talk about history. Knowing about the power of the subconscious, I know that if we read about diversity, we also see diversity (or the lack thereof) in society. It’s one of the reasons why I often force myself to intervene with my subconscious to make sure to include diverse characters wherever it makes sense. I’ve even written an entire book filled with characters that are nothing like me. It was a very exhilarating experience.


Blurb

jonathans-promiseJonathan made Dan a promise – a promise that will affect the remainder of his life. But what does he have left to live for?

When their grandson Parker and his fiancé Cody move in with him, the three of them embark on a journey to shed light on Dan’s roots.

A heart-warming sequel to Jonathan’s Hope, Jonathan’s Promise deals with aging and the ultimate consequences of wedding vows. Are we entitled to a second shot at happiness? When is ‘for worse’ too much to handle?

In this trilogy:

  • Jonathan’s Hope (Book 1)
  • Jonathan’s Promise (Book 2)
  • Jonathan’s Legacy (Book 3)

Bio

AuthorPicI’m an author. I write books. I write about things that are important to me: family, parenting, children, our environment, our world. Contemporary, fresh fiction with happy endings. It’s what I like to read myself. I write because I don’t have a choice. There are so many stories in my head, constantly forming, constantly trying to get out. Feel free to have a look on the other pages to learn more, listen to me narrate from those stories, and – if you like what you see or hear – follow the links to buy the books. I’d greatly appreciate that, as this is how I try to make my living.

I’m an author. But I’m also a forty something male who clings to the illusion of still being twenty-seven, despite my body’s daily reminders to the contrary. I’m married to the most amazing man, and together we have a beautiful son, Sascha. I consider myself a citizen of the world, having lived on two continents and traveled extensively through another three. I have friends all over the world. When I’m not writing, I like to do public speaking or training (where I have my professional background) to actually earn some real bill-paying money. Not sure this author thing is ever going to get me there…

:: Website & Blog :: Facebook :: Twitter ::


Giveaway

Hans has brought a great giveaway for readers on his blog tour. Just follow the Rafflecopter link below to enter. 

Winner’s Prize: $50 Amazon GC; Runner Up Prize: 5 e-copies of Jonathan’s Promise (Book 2) / Jonathan’s Hope (Book 1) – Winner’s Choice

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