dean frech ~ lgbtqia+ romance writer: Reclaiming Hope by Shell Taylor

Friday, October 21, 2016

Reclaiming Hope by Shell Taylor

Hi, everyone! I want to thank Dean Frech for having me today and giving me a chance to share a little bit about Riley’s inspiration in Reclaiming Hope with you.

I’ve told you how Kollin’s and Riley’s story came to me (sort of) and that I did a lot of research. When I first started to research, it was pretty tough. Because of the resources I first used, most of the testimonies I read were difficult to digest and didn’t have a good ending. Disheartened, I plowed through blog after blog where the authors were miserable and just trying to get through the day. To be clear, I still greatly respected these individuals, but it just wasn’t an easy or entertaining research period. I tried to honor these individual’s struggles in Riley’s story because they’re real and honest.

But I’m in the business of happily ever after. Maybe the characters won’t always get there the way we think or the way they want, and maybe life never becomes a shiny globe of perfect, but they’ll get as close as they can with what life has given them.

So when I found Viktor Belmont, I was over the moon excited.

Is anyone familiar? He’s a cute-as-a-button trans escort who lives in San Diego. I first read about him on Buzzfeed (https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrishernandez/meet-the-tattooed-trans-male-escort-whos-setting-hearts-on-f?utm_term=.tqzJMgwve#.tu5NqPlY7 ), and I immediately knew, “This is Riley’s goal. To have this attitude and this type of body positivity.” I tried to honor Mr. Belmont by giving Riley the same platinum blond streaks he wears and a couple of facial piercings. Riley’s journey itself couldn’t be farther from Viktor’s, but I hope he doesn’t mind me using his inspirational story as a general goal.

If you’re interested, check out Vicktor on Instragram at viktorbelmont! He’s fun to follow J

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Don’t forget to enter to win the giveaway for a chance to win an Amazon gift card or a book from my backlist. Or… if you’d rather, I also have an audio copy of Redeeming Hope (Home for Hope book 1) to give away!

TITLE: Reclaiming Hope

SERIES: Home for Hope #3

AUTHOR: Shell Taylor

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

COVER ARTIST: L.C. Chase

LENGTH: 210 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 14, 2016

BLURB: Sequel to Resurrecting Hope

Home for Hope: Book Three

Four years ago, Kollin Haverty’s best friend, Riley Meadows, dropped off the face of the earth. When he shows up out of the blue, armed with a flimsy excuse for disappearing and having nearly completed his transition from female to male, Kollin wants to pick up where they left off. But Riley’s unwillingness to be honest with Kollin prevents him from fully trusting Riley again. Despite Riley’s insecurities and Kollin’s abandonment issues, they quickly discover there’s something more than friendship between them.

When a ghost from Riley’s past unexpectedly appears with haunting memories in tow, Kollin’s anger about being lied to outweighs his desire to be the understanding boyfriend Riley needs. As Riley’s web of strategically withheld secrets begins to unravel, he must find the courage to pursue his own peace before he can move forward with Kollin, and Kollin must decide what’s more important—supporting his best friend or protecting himself.

Adam rolled his eyes to mimic her and then turned his attention toward Kollin. “Look who the cat dragged in.”

For some reason, Kollin’s heart fluttered. Waves of nervousness raced through his body as he tried to figure out why Adam thought he should know the stranger. He’d never told either of his parents about meeting the guy at the bookstore, and even if he had, Adam couldn’t have known he was the same person.

The man studied the ground, seemingly reluctant to look at Kollin, but Kollin knew he couldn’t identify him even if they were staring directly at one another.

Fortunately Adam saved him from further embarrassment. “I didn’t recognize Riley until he threatened to own me in Ping-Pong.”

Kollin sucked in a huge gulp of air. The nervous flutters, which had been nothing more than a curious enigma, ceased, and he suddenly felt as if a boulder had settled in the pit of his stomach.

He hadn’t spoken to Riley Meadows in over four years. When Kollin’s parents kicked him out, Riley had been the one who kept Kollin sane. He tethered him to reality when all he’d wanted was to escape inside himself. They’d kept in touch when Riley first went to college and somehow became even closer—until Riley seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Phone calls, e-mails, texts… all unanswered. Kollin eventually took the hint and gave up.

Now Riley was back?

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Shell Taylor is a full-time mother of three exuberant and loving kiddos and one fur baby, a tiny but fierce Yorkie-poo named Rocco. As a Christian who practices love, grace, and humility, she tries her best to instill these same virtues in her rowdy kids. She is a huge fan of Marvel comics and will never stop loving Harry Potter (Hufflepuff pride, baby!) When Shell isn’t writing, she can be found binge watching Netflix or volunteering at her church and childrens’ school. Shell considers herself blessed to have married a strong, supportive man who works hard to allow her to continue to follow her dreams.

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You can also email Shell at - shell4jmu@gmail.com