A brief word on personal experiences in writing. Oh god.

True Blue comes out on Friday. It’s only a few days away and I’m full of the normal pre-release nerves you’d expect. Except this time it’s a little different. I wasn’t this nervous when I released my very first story, Out of the Blue.

All authors will tell you how much they bleed while writing their books. We pour out our heart and soul, blood, sweat and sometimes literal tears into our stories. Good. That’s what us as readers want. Me included. I want something that feels real, gives me shivers and smiles when I think about it. I want ALL the feels.

As authors, we sometimes draw on personal experiences for our scenes. (I’m saying this based on the author’s I’ve spoken to about this subject. I can’t possibly know how EVERY author writes.) Writing is an intensely personal journey, so how can we not draw on our own feelings, and the emotions we try and portray, need to come from somewhere. Every single piece I’ve written has a piece of me in it. Those closest to me will be able to see them. Remember the communication problem Cam and Jake had in Out of the Blue? Mine. All mine. Hubs and I still haven’t mastered the art of talking enough, but after 20 years together, we’re getting better at it. Remember the twin’s mother’s cancer struggle in Black & Bluhe? My mum. The hand holding thing in bed from Indigo Road? Yep, you guessed it. That’s what hubs and I do. (aww, isn’t that adorable?) Yeah.

True Blue took me more than a year to write. I struggled with lots of aspects of this story, mainly because a part of it is autobiographical and I didn’t know how to NOT put those very personal bits of me into it. No, I’m not a hot, tattooed fireman in San Francisco, but some of Brandon’s experiences are my own. Yes, I’ve tweaked them to fit the story, elaborated, stretched etc. But the feelings and scenes come from deep within. Often a painful and highly emotional place.

I’m probably giving you more insight into me than I’m strictly comfortable with, but part of me thinks it’s important to remind you that every story, from every author, (probably) comes from somewhere personal. You will more than likely never know which parts they are, but just keep in mind next time you’re reading a scene. You may find that you gain a greater insight into the author than you ever thought possible.

So the release day jitters are heightened with this story, purely because this is so much more personal than anything else I’ve written.

And now stay tuned for the promo:

When being true to yourself means denial is no longer an option.

On the heels of a tragedy, Brandon White shaved his hair, adorned his body with tattoos, and concentrated on his attraction to the opposite sex. Fifteen years later, Brandon is a protective son and a loyal and respected member of the San Francisco Fire Department, bedding anything in a skirt that promises not to stick around afterward.

When his past and present collide in his dreams—including his best friend and fellow fireman, Mason—Brandon knows things are never going to be the same again. He starts to recall that fateful day years before, and the long-forgotten feelings that preceded it. The most important thing he remembers—he’s not as straight as he’d thought.

With help, Brandon learns to accept who he was always meant to be. But when tragedy strikes again, Brandon must reconcile his past and present and deal with his grief if he is to ever be true, not only to himself, but to Mason as well.

**This can be read as a standalone, however it is best enjoyed after reading the first two stories as side characters play a major role.**