BEHIND THE WRITING: Honestly (Feathered Tartan 3)

One question that has been asked several times ever since it came out that Avery D’Eon, the leading man from Honestly, is a trans man is…

“Why did you make Avery trans?”

This is a question I’ve asked myself several times over the course of the last 3 years, ever since I came up with the idea to continue with the Feathered Tartan series, and include Dana Campbell – Ewan Campbell’s cousin – as a lead in one of the books.

I’ve known since the time I was writing the first ever draft of what eventually became Stricken that Dana wasn’t straight. I thought at first she was bisexual or a lesbian, but that didn’t fit her character. She’s outspoken, flirtatious, fun, and loves people for who they are.

After sitting down and thinking about her more, I realized she was pansexual.

As defined by Google:

pan·sex·u·al

/panˈsekSH(əw)əl/

adjective

1. not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity.

noun

1. a pansexual person.

Once I realized that Dana wanted her own story written, I realized she needed an extremely special person, someone who understood her sexuality and loved her sultry side, but was enough to temper her outrageousness and over the top sense of humor.

That’s when I started thinking along the lines of another LGBTAIQ+ person for her. I had considered someone who had intersex qualities, but nixed it. I don’t know a lot about intersex qualities to do everyone justice. I was scared it would turn out highly crass. Maybe in the future, when I am more knowledgeable.

Finally, I started thinking that a trans man would fit the bill for Dana’s love interest. Someone who was kind, gentle, and didn’t mind taking a backseat to their vivacious partner in life. However, he would have faced hatred, fear, and bigotry from people in his former life for not being a cis person. He would move from one part of the province to another, to be in a place where he could be himself without prejudice.

For a while, I was thinking that Avery could still be waiting to get his bottom surgeries done, but after talking about it with some of my author pals, I realized it was best for him and his interests, as well as my readers’ interests, that he have the full operation – so he was able to stand up while at a urinal, and so he could penetrate a woman or a man’s anus if he wanted to. For this story, it worked perfectly, although do not be surprised if in the future, I write about someone who is preop, or doesn’t want the affirming surgeries for their real gender. It does happen, as mentioned in the book, but it just seemed more appropriate for Avery and Dana.

Avery is bisexual, meaning he is attracted to men and women sexually.

It was after Hubby suggested that this story happen in one of our favorite towns, Annapolis Royal on the Bay of Fundy – highest tides in the world! – that I decided Avery was going to be Acadian, the French Canadians who live along the Fundy coast, and in parts of New Brunswick.

His last name, D’Eon, is in loving memory of our friend Vicki D’Eon, who was Marnie’s favorite caretaker at the shelter and who became a dear friend of mine. She passed in 2020, and I miss her horribly.

Dana is Siksika, which is the First Nation in southern Alberta. It’s a part of the Niitsítapi nation. Siksika means “Blackfoot”, it’s taken from sik (black) and ika (foot) with an s connecting the two. She’s the youngest of the Campbell grandchildren, and considers her cousins Ewan and Joshua to be more like brothers. I go more into their relationship in Honestly – Dana is staying with Ewan, Marti and their son at their summer home in Annapolis Royal while Ewan helps set up a branch of Hutchinson-Campbell Real Estate in that area. Let’s just say there’s a lot of stuff flying around, from insults to inside jokes, and a few things even landing in the pool…

Honestly was written over a three year period. I had started it in 2019, but got distracted with other stories, from getting Away to Me and Under Your Scars ready for Extasy Books, then Sweet Child of Mine being written in 2020, and set on the back burner again with Eternity’s Gamble in 2021.

After Eternity’s Gamble was finished, I promised myself I would finish Dana’s and Avery’s story, come hell or high water.

I finally did it in April of 2022, three years after I typed the first line of it. I sent it to my beta reader K. Logan and my author pal JA LaFrance for a critique. It was submitted to Extasy Books on May 28, 2022, and I got the contract for it on May 29^th. The contract was signed the same day.

It’s now in edits with my good friend and fellow Extasy Books author, Jon. He said he’ll have it back to me sometime soon, possibly as early as next week. No sign of the cover yet, but it takes time to create and perfect a cover. I know whatever Martine or Angie sends me will be so pretty and be perfect for this book.

Many thanks to…

Cameron Allie

Dawn (DS) Dehel

Maggie Blackbird

Julie JA LaFrance

Krista Logan

Tina Haveman

Jay Austin

Jon Bradbury

I’m in between books at the moment… Track season is still happening! My son made second place in the Districts for Shotput, then 3^rd in the Regionals and now is off to Stellarton for the Provincials on June 3^rd. I hope to start the first part of Joshua Campbell’s story – Could Have Been (working title) – once things settle down. I’d like to have it come out around the holidays, it’s set in December!

Have a great weekend everyone… Tonight I leave you with the song that inspired the name of my upcoming book. HONESTLY by Stryper.

“And I love you, can’t you see…

That I can say I love you,

Honestly.”