A to Z II - X is for Xenial

Today is day 24 of my personal A to Z challenge, which means that X is our letter today. X is for xenial.

To be xenial is to be hospitable. Now that may seem contradictory considering Joe's reclusiveness, but in actuality, he's very xenial with Michael.


He comes out to him when Michael is still a complete stranger to him. Joe makes himself completely vulnerable to someone he doesn't know or trust. But he comes out as a way to extend his hand out to Michael when Michael says that he is gay. He's clearly nervous, and he just explained to Joe how he moved to Detroit from Phoenix to be with a man who was married to a woman. So he's scared and lonely. Joe admits he's bi so that Michael doesn't feel judged. He uses it as a way to reach out to Michael, to make him feel more comfortable and accepted.

Further still, Joe opens his home and his life to Michael. He spends quite a bit of time with him, which Joe doesn't normally do. Whether they go out, or just relax in Joe's apartment, the two men spend quite a bit of time together. For Joe to allow someone other than Claudette into his home, or to spend his free time with someone other than Pete or Claudette is as xenial as he can get. It may not rival southern hospitality, but it is quite hospitable nonetheless.

Keeping things relative, you can see that Joe is actually very hospitable with Michael. He opens himself and his home as much as he can. Joe, by nature, is a loner, but he is a xenial loner.

A to Z II - W is for Wake

Holy crow, kids. We are nearing the end of the month and the end of the alphabet! Today's letter is w. W is for wake.

Wake? You ask.

Yes, wake. If you've ever spent any time boating, you might have heard of the term, wake. A wake is the waves a motorboat leaves behind as it is speeding along. See picture below.

What does that have to do with Trajectory?

Well, in life, we all leave a wake. Some good, some bad. We all leave a ripple effect, if you will, right? We touch people, and create some kind of an impact on the world around us. Same principle. I'm just going on a bigger scale.

Joe, for all that he does and all that he is, leaves not just a ripple effect, but a wake behind him.

The streets of Detroit are safer, but people are still affected by those he has shot.

Michael was an incredibly unhealthy and unstable person, but he didn't necessarily deserve his fate.

There is a huge effect touched by many because of Joe. It's not all bad. It's just very broad.

That wake seems to come full circle at the end of the story, which is how and why he ends up back at Claudette's apartment, begging for her acceptance.

The world around us - indeed, life itself - is like water. Moving, ever changing, free, malleable. We have the potential and the power to move it and cause a ripple effect, or even a full blown wake effect based on our words and actions with those around us. It is up to us to decide if we are going to make it good or bad. Joe's story in Trajectory  can be an example to us all.

A to Z II - U is for Unique

Wow! It's Wednesday already! It's another day deeper in my personal A to Z challenge. Today's challenge is the letter u. U is for unique.

Unique is applicable to Trajectory in a few ways.

It is unique in that it is my first story with a male lead.

It is unique in that it is my first story with a bisexual lead.

It is unique in that it is not your typical love triangle story.

It is unique in that it is not just a love story.

It is unique in that it is not just a police story.

It is unique in that the characters are all very human: flawed and yet perfect. Deep, dark, emotional, each driven by their own hopes and fears.

There are many layers to Trajectory, and I have done that purposefully. I wanted to create a story of intrigue. Not just an LGBT story. Not just a SWAT sniper story. Not just... I wanted to create a story that was going to entertain, but also one that was going to make you think. Think about life. Think about the difficulties and perspectives that someone in Joe's position might have. Think about how much damage one unhealthy person like Michael can cause. Think about the importance of our relationships, like the relationships between Joe and Pete, and of course, Joe and Claudette.

Trajectory truly is unique.

A to Z II - R is for Reason/Rationality

Good Saturday morning! It is time for another letter in my personal A to Z challenge. Today being the eighteenth day of the challenge, the letter for the day is the letter r. R stands for reason or rationality.

I could have gone with romance, sure. Since there is the complex romance between Joe and Claudette. There is even the unhealthy and unrequited romance between Michael and Joe.

Reason and rationality are much more applicable, though.

Joe is not an emotional guy. Okay, that's not true. He is. He's very sentimental. If he wasn't emotional, he wouldn't be so connected to Claudette still. However, he is still such a methodical, calculating, rational guy.

Look at his job. He has to be objective 100% of the time. Reason and being rational must dictate every single thing he does behind the scope. He can't let an feeling or a thought or even a hunch affect what he sees, says or does. One assumption, one irrational thought could endanger the lives of many people. Reason must win.

Even in his relationships with Claudette and Pete, Joe is still very rational. The only time he lets his guard down is when he pities Michael, and that sympathy comes back and bites him big time. It is only when he is calm, reasonable and rational that things go well for Joe.

So yes, r is for reason and rationality.

A to Z II - Q is for Queer

Good morning! Another day is upon us, which means it is time for another letter in my personal A to Z challenge. Going in chronological order, today's letter happens to be the letter q. Q is for queer.

I know I've spoken a few times about Joe being bi.

I've always branded myself as a writer of LGBT romance. As a member of the LGBT community, it's important for me to feel that we are represented in the literary world.

In the original Trajectory, there is nothing queer about Joe or the story line. I did myself and our community a disservice. I had always known Joe was bi. In the original NaNo manuscript, he was bi, but that got edited out when I hacked the story down from a novel to a short story. Again, I did us all a disservice.

When VHP and I decided to revisit Trajectory, the first thing I wanted to do was really explore Joe's identity and sexuality. Not to make the story erotica, per se, but to bring back his LGBT roots, so to speak. He is queer, and that is a theme that I wanted to make predominant in the story. I wasn't going to do away with Claudette; she is Joe's rock. Queer or not, Joe cannot live without her. However, I needed to do more than just state the fact that he was bi. I needed to do more than just have him discuss his fears of having the team find out. I needed him to live it. I needed him to live in his authenticity. I needed him to live in his queerness.

Michael was actually a character from another story. I had planned on bringing in a male character for Joe, just not necessarily him. However, my characters are headstrong little buggers. They don't listen very well - they love to do as they please. So, Michael decided to jump into Trajectory. His move was seamless. What I thought would be awkward and potentially stagnate the story was the polar opposite. He is a wonderful unexpected element. He is the giant monkey wrench, and I love how he mucks everything up. He brings out Joe's queer identity, and he forces Joe to face his fears head on. It is a beautiful thing.

If you were to look at Trajectory from a quick glance, you'd never expect it to be a queer story. Even as such, it might make you cringe at first (once you discover the true dynamic between Joe and Michael). However, once you really read the story, once you get into the meat of the book, Trajectory in all of its queer glory is absolutely wonderful. It's the queer story you never saw coming with the queer message you'd never expect.

Queer is not a bad word. Especially in this case.

A to Z II - M is for Michael

Good morning! We have reached yet another day in my personal A to Z challenge. We are up to day #13, which means we are half way through the alphabet! Crazy, huh?

 It also means that we are at the letter M. M is for Michael.

Now, if you've read the original Trajectory, you know that Michael is nowhere to be found. It's true. Trajectory started out as a NaNoWriMo challenge. In that original manuscript, there was a male love interest for Joe. As things changed, and Trajectory became a short story instead of a novel, I cut out his bisexuality and his boyfriend.

Since we're back to reviving Trajectory into the full-length story it was meant to be, I am bringing back Joe's true identity. As well, I am bringing in a male to gain Joe's attention.

Michael is an interesting fellow. He is awkward and lonely. He reaches out to Joe just to try to make a friend. He moved to Detroit for a guy, only to have his heart broken. When Joe confides his bisexuality, Michael feels as though he has met a kindred spirit.

As time goes on, Michael finds himself wanting more of Joe. Joe sends him mixed messages, which Michael tightly grasps. He becomes obsessed. When Joe finally informs him that he is not interested in Michael romantically, Michael doesn't take it well. Things take a very unexpected turn for the worse.

Michael is from the past, but he's also a completely new character - a man all his own. He's a very unique man. Unlike the original male love interest, he's dark and complex. He brings a very interesting element to the new Trajectory.

A to Z II - G is for Gravity

Wow! We are one week in in my personal A to Z challenge, which brings us to the letter g! G is for gravity.

Trajectory is a rather dark and very serious story. There's a lot of gravity to it.

There's the gravity of Joe's job.

There's the gravity of Joe's relationship with Claudette.

There's the gravity of Joe's relationship with Michael.

There's the gravity of Joe's relationship with Pete.

This is one story with A LOT of gravity.

A to Z II - F is for Frankness

Hi kids! Today, we delve a little deeper into my personal A to Z challenge. Today's letter is the letter f. F is for frankness.

Joe is a former Marine, and a cop. His position on the SWAT team requires him to tell it exactly how he sees it. Joe cannot help but to be perfectly blunt and frank.

Some might find it offensive, calling him tactless, or maybe even inconsiderate. That's not the case at all. He's simply an honest man. He does not lie. He can't lie - because of his strength of character, and his job.  He is honest. He pulls no punches. He calls it exactly how he sees it.

For people like Claudette and Pete, Joe's frankness is an endearing trait. They love his honesty. They know his heart is always in the right place. They know they will never find another person more loyal or more honest than he.


Michael, however, does not appreciate Joe's bluntness. Joe doesn't hold back, Michael wishes he would. Michael is too sensitive and insecure to fully accept Joe's frank speech. Joe's honesty also means that Michael doesn't always hear what he wants to hear. That is something that Michael doesn't handle well. Not at all.

Whatever your opinion on frankness, it is a very strong trait of Joe's. Good, bad, or indifferent, that's just who he is. Frankness is just one of Joe's many strong qualities.