#TAA Release Date!

That Awkward Age
Release Date: 30th November 2016

Casey Inspiration

So, the rewrite of Casey is well underway, and if I say so myself, going quite well. This time we’re doing things differently.

First BIG change is the story will be told by Casey’s PoV instead of his boyfriend Mickey’s, that in itself has caused many alterations and research! I am excited by this change, as I love making Casey more 3D then he originally was, it’s interesting to see his family, his therapist, his T injections, everything that happens in the shadows and out of Mickey’s eye (well, sometimes at least).

I’ll add some background to Casey’s character; he is 18 and 5 months old, 4 months ago he was given the confirmation for his bottom surgery (he is very excited about this), he has had to move house to get the surgery, so his whole family moved closer to the hospital, and changed both Casey’s and his little sister Abi’s schools.

You find out a lot of Casey’s story throughout the book, regarding his coming out and his journey, but, you also learn everything first hand, along with his new boyfriend Mickey.

There has been plenty of inspiration for this book. I decided to rewrite it about a month ago, after giving it a reread and feeling I hadn’t done this book the justice it deserved. One of the first people to give me the inspiration to rewrite this book was Jo Banks, a friend and fellow author, he is being so open about his transition on Facebook that it blew me away, and reading about everything, watching the videos and keeping up with his updates, was part of the catalyst that made me think Casey needed to be rewrote.

The second inspiration is a more recent inspiration, that my editor put me onto. Alex Bertie and Jake Edwards, both are YouTubers and both are FTM, I have been watching their videos religiously for almost the last week. They’re both so inspirational in so many ways, whilst also being inspirational in the writing sense, they’re filling me with material to write and I am excited for it all.

I recommend you check these guys out, all are inspirational, whilst all being brave enough to put their transitions online;

Jo Banks – https://www.facebook.com/groups/913215802042774/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Alex Bertie – https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealJazzBertie
Jake Edwards – https://www.youtube.com/user/JakeFTMagic
Alex + Jake – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLx16Df0NEQb2m_N0u-71UA

I don’t think Casey would be going as well as it is without these guys helping me, without knowing they are, although it is likely one will read this, HI!

I would love to send all 3 of them a completed version of the book when it is released, of course, hoping it is good enough! So, I’ll keep you up-to-date on that!

R.J.

The big GAY announcement

So, the big Gay Brigade Announcement.

By the end of 2016 the entire of the Gay Brigade series will be unpublished, BUT don’t fret, because it is also being rewrote.

From the very beginning, the Gay Brigade is being redone, new story-lines (I know, story-lines!), and cleaner covers, there also is going to be a fifth book. Gay Brigade: McKenzie and Dominic, the story of the Gay Brigade’s two straight children!

I’m excited about the prospect of the new Gay Brigade, and so far the writing is going brilliantly (if I say so myself).

So, keep an eye out for more Gay Brigade announcements and release dates!!

R.J.

Spotlight Book!

In the spotlight today is Casey!

When Mickey lays eyes on Casey for the first time he can’t help but feel something towards him, his hair, his clothes, his face, his eyes everything makes Mickey just want to get to know him more and when he does he falls for him instantly, their relationship takes off quickly and neither can quite understand why but when Casey tells Mickey that he is transsexual and he’s going in for his operation in just under two months, Mickey is quickly thrown into something he knows nothing about but will he stick by Casey for the next two months? And thereafter?

BUY NOW!

Casey’s almost here!

So it’s come, Casey’s release date!

Casey will be published on the 20th November on Transgender Remembrance Day

You can pre-order Casey now (on Kindle) UK   US

But you’ll be able to buy the Paperback on the 20th November!

 

When Mickey lays eyes on Casey for the first time he can’t help but feel something towards him, his hair, his clothes, his face, his eyes everything makes Mickey just want to get to know him more and when he does he falls for him instantly, they’re relationship takes off quickly and neither can quite understand why but when Casey tells Mickey that he is transsexual and he’s going in for his operation in just under two months, Mickey is quickly thrown into something he knows nothing about but will he stick by Casey for the next two months? And thereafter?

You can now Pre-Order Casey

When Mickey lays eyes on Casey for the first time he can’t help but feel something towards him, his hair, his clothes, his face, his eyes everything makes Mickey just want to get to know him more and when he does he falls for him instantly, they’re relationship takes off quickly and neither can quite understand why but when Casey tells Mickey that he is transsexual and he’s going in for his operation in just under two months, Mickey is quickly thrown into something he knows nothing about but will he stick by Casey for the next two months? And thereafter?

KINDLE UK                     KINDLE US

Casey Update!

 So Casey which will be available to Pre-Order from tomorrow and will be out on general sale on the 20th November!

So Casey is very, very nearly finished, I’m literally on the last few pages. The story itself is starting to look like it’ll be about 100 – 125 pages long as it does only cover 2 months it obviously wasn’t going to be a full novel, but I feel like that if this story was any longer it’d take away from the point it’d begin to start just going off topic.

This book really has challenged me and made me really expand my writing skills! Hopefully this challenge pays off!

R.J.

Update on Casey.

 So Casey now has a cover and a synopsis and a place on my website.

I feel the progress of this book is going well and that I really have learnt quite a lot   from just writing this book.

Although I am progressing well I’m still sort of missing a subplot, but it’s seeming difficult to find one, it’ll come to me soon. Hopefully as I wish to publish this book on the 20th November (Transgender Day of Remembrance) as I feel it’d be appropriate too.

R.J

Exploring New Worlds

So on Monday I decided to start probably one of my most difficult writing projects (along with my Mute book).

I decided to create a FTM (Female to Male) character. His name is Casey.

I have aided myself slightly because I am writing from the boy who’s Casey’s affections are towards (Mickey) Point of View.

Casey is Pre-Op and by the end of the book has had the Operation and Mickey goes through with him step by step of the process. Of course there is humours moments, there’s touching moments and there’s educational moments (a lot of them) but the story is hugely about Casey.

I for the last 3 days have really been researching FTM. Mostly FTM Bottom surgery as that is one of the main things that I was pretty much clueless about. I visited the old reliable NHS website but didn’t feel at all educated once I’d read through it so I continued through Google until I found;

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3312187/#!po=37.5000 <– This website was the first I stumbled across and it really put the procedure simply and easy to follow, there were also pictures and believe me the visuals helped (although they are not for the squeamish)

http://quirkycalm.wordpress.com/ <— This was the second that really helped me. It’s a real-life account of pre-surgery and post-surgery and nothing was rose-tinted, he’d written everything true to life, everything as it was happening – warts and all. That really helped as I didn’t want Casey to recover amazingly quickly after the surgery or have no complications – as that is nowhere true to life.

I of course am hugely challenged with this book because I’d really like to get it right and I’d also like to get the reaction of the people close to him right.

I’ll try to keep updating you on this story as it goes but of course that could be difficult.

R.J.