The book release party for my fourth novel, If I Seem Quiet…, was held on Friday, November 17, at Exposed Studio & Gallery in Phoenix – the same place my previous book signing parties were held. It’s a charming LGBT-owned business with beautiful art on display from local artists and a nice area for holding receptions. Gregg Edelman, the owner, is very supportive and a joy to work with.

My husband Jeff captured the event on video. In the video, I spoke about how I got started writing novels. I recounted the seemingly innocuous event that provided the seed of inspiration for this novel (and by extension, the others). I read an excerpt from the book and answered some excellent questions from the audience.

Just click on the image to watch and enjoy.

Occasionally, people ask who my characters are based upon and where I get the inspiration for my stories. Sometimes, it’s completely random and spontaneous – like when I’m people-watching in a fast-food restaurant.

One day in late 2017, I was eating dinner in a fast-food restaurant on a Monday evening. It was the Rubio’s at Indian School Road & 44^th Street, if you’re curious. I had two hours between rehearsals, so I brought my laptop along and caught up on email, Facebook, the news, etc. during and after my dinner. I eat at that Rubio’s fairly often, and I have a favorite seat along the window near the self-serve soda fountain, which I visit several times during my prolonged stay.

A young man entered the restaurant and sat at a table near me. I guessed him to be in his mid-20s. For some reason (probably boredom – or maybe because he was cute in that boy-next-door kind of way), I began to wonder what his story was. What did he do for a living? Was he a native Phoenician or from someplace else? Where was he before he visited the restaurant, and where would he go afterward? Was he gay or straight? Those sorts of things.

By the time he left 15 minutes later, I had made up his life story. I decided to write a book about him and his made-up life. He became Aaron Michael Bradbury, the main character in my new novel If I Seem Quiet…. (I prefer “If I Seem Quiet” to “If I Look Quiet” for this book.) (more…)

This weekend (July 14-16) was Gay Pride weekend in San Diego. If you’ve never been, it’s one of the more festive Gay Pride weekends in the country. The combination of Hillcrest, one of the country’s most vibrant gayborhoods, San Diego itself, and the warm, sunny weather makes for an ideal weekend. People travel from all over California and Arizona and points beyond to enjoy the festivities.

Between 1999 and 2004, I went every year. From the third year on, I stayed with my friends Bill and Eric, and an agenda for the weekend took shape. I’d drive over on Friday, spend a couple of hours in the afternoon at Black’s Beach (a clothing-optional beach with a large gay section), then drive to Bill and Eric’s house. We’d head into Hillcrest for happy hour at the rooftop bar at the Park Manor Hotel. It was packed! It was the place to see and be seen while drinking Cape Cods, their specialty. The rooftop offered a spectacular view of Balboa Park and downtown San Diego – when we weren’t looking at all the beautiful scenery right there on the deck. After happy hour, we would go out to dinner in a nice restaurant.

Saturday morning, we watched the parade. Bill and Eric had a favorite spot, not far from the Park Manor Hotel. They brought folding chairs, an umbrella or two, and a cooler. We watched the two-hour-long parade, with plenty of eye candy among the various walking groups, marching bands, convertibles, and floats.

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If you’re curious about my second novel, Instant Adult, but you’re not sure what it’s about or whether you would enjoy it, perhaps my answers to these ten questions will fill in the blanks.

You can download and read a sample chapter of the book here.

What kind of book is Instant Adult?

Well, it’s not a romance novel, nor is it erotica. It could be described as historical fiction, although that history took place only 15 years ago. The best label I’ve come up with is ‘contemporary gay fiction,’ although I realize that’s pretty general.

This book tells the story of Bryan, a young man who must quickly adapt to the responsibilities of being an adult after he suddenly finds himself in Los Angeles, far away from home. It’s culture shock on multiple levels.

My goal is to tell a compelling story that centers around gay characters and gay issues – especially issues the LGBT+ community was facing in 2007-2008. The book deals with being out at high school and the occasional homophobia and intolerance the characters encounter along the way.

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If you’re curious about my first novel, Maybe Next Year, but you’re not sure what it’s about or whether you would enjoy it, perhaps my answers to these ten questions will fill in the blanks.

What kind of book is Maybe Next Year? Is it a romance novel?

It’s definitely not a romance novel, in the formulaic or categorical sense. There is romance in the novel, as our two main characters, Bryan and Chris, are high school best friends who gradually figure out they’re in love. But an expectation of every romance novel is that it has a “happily ever after” ending, and (spoiler alert!) Maybe Next Year does not.

So what is it? To me, it’s simply a compelling story that centers around gay characters and gay issues – especially issues the LGBT+ community was facing in 2007. There’s coming out, humor, drama, romance, conflict, and some revealed secrets – all the things you want in a good story.

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In the front matter of most novels, there’s a statement such as the following:

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

You’ve probably seen it so often you take it for granted and don’t think much about it.

Yet, I’ve discovered it’s difficult to write a fictional story that doesn’t make some reference to real-life people, places, and brands. I’ve already received questions such as, “Is [some character] based on [some real person]?” or “Is [some scene] autobiographical? Did that actually happen to you?”

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