Love knows no gender.
Pate Boone, a twenty-six-year-old transgender man, embarks on a new adventure when his childhood best friend, and yes, ex-lover, Oakley Ogden, convinces him to escape their hometown in hopes for something new.
They land in Cloverleaf, a tiny rural town in Montana, so that Oakley can care for his granny who is battling breast cancer. She pressures the two young men to enroll in a nearby college. Pate immediately becomes enthralled with Maybelle, a young, vivacious freshman to whom he fears revealing his transgender identity. Still, he finds it impossible to resist Maybelle, even after he meets her ex, Bullet, a large, violent man determined to keep Pate away from “his girl.”
But there are others who accept Pate immediately, like Stormy. An outdoorsy, rugged freshman, Stormy warns Pate away from Maybelle and Bullet, but Pate’s too infatuated to heed these warnings.
Oakley tries to support his friend’s new love but finds himself entangled in his own emotional calamity when he unintentionally falls for Jody, a gay and ostentatiously confident drag queen. This new relationship awakens deep internal conflicts in Oakley as he struggles to accept his bisexuality, lashing out at Pate and causing friction between him and Jody.
Oakley must decide if he can overcome his insecurities so he doesn’t lose the love of his life. And Pate must discover if the love between him and Maybelle is strong enough for her to accept him as a transgender man, or if she will break his heart.
I tend to have unique tastes that may not appeal to other people, but I consider myself mostly normal. I’m also an open book, so creating this list was challenging.
I donated a kidney to a stranger that I still haven’t met
I donated in December. As of today, I still have not talked to nor met this person. For blind donations, the donor and the recipient are not allowed to meet beforehand, and after surgery, the donor and the recipient can choose if they would like to write each other a letter for the hospital staff to distribute on their behalf. I wrote my letter in February. Of course, I didn’t know what to say. I chose to share with them that even though I struggled in recovery, knowing that I hopefully helped improve this person’s life eased my suffering. And I got a nice stress ball in the shape of a kidney out of it.
I broke my foot during a marathon and kept running
I had never broken any body part before running the New Orleans Rock & Roll Marathon in February 2011. On mile fourteen, my foot cracked. It may have only resulted in a stress fracture, but I chose to tighten my laces and keep trucking. By mile twenty-three, the bones were completely broken, and I could feel them moving in my foot. I ended up making a new personal record, my first sub-four-hour marathon!
I was on a local news channel one time in China
I never heard of dubbing film competitions, but apparently, in China, they are big events. I was working as an academic director and was responsible for organizing a competition for several schools in our program. A local news station arrived and wanted to interview an organizer. I spoke in English, so my words were translated. So now I can be remembered as some random foreigner on the Chinese news.
I enjoy eating roasted bugs
I had a class one time with a classmate from Nigeria. She had a bag of roasted bugs and was passing them around to whoever wanted to try some. Too scared, I refused, adamant that I could never eat bugs. That is, until I moved to China. Suddenly, it just didn’t feel like a big deal anymore. I loved them! They offer a nice, crunchy texture when cooked properly. Cicadas are probably my favorite.
I ate octopus while it was still moving
I saw people do this when visiting Seoul, South Korea during The Amazing Race and just knew that I had to do it. It’s a total tourist thing and has to be requested. They merely chop up an octopus and serve it with the tentacles still moving. When I ate a piece, the suction on the tentacles stuck to the insides of my mouth. I had to chew excessively to prevent it from getting lodged in my throat. It wasn’t gross. It was just weird.
I was voted Most Artistic in my senior class
If I had been a classic popular student, then this wouldn’t be a shocker. I recall that the vote was close, so they called a re-vote. It was between me and a way more popular girl. To my amazement, I won! I wasn’t voted Most Artistic for painting or drawing but for my writing. I had written a poem about a man who killed his wife and buried her in the yard and won the Young Georgia Authors Competition. Now as I’m publishing my first book, it seems even more fitting.
I don’t like sunlight
I just don’t. I don’t mind walking on a sunny day or visiting the beach, but it doesn’t take long for it to start draining me. I also never enjoyed the feeling of being exposed. I always preferred hiding the darkness. Montana offers long winters with short days, and I’m certainly not complaining!
I love Madonna
Most people associate me with punk or metal music, but I listen to a wide variety. My love for Madonna started with my sister in high school. We’d drive around for hours blasting her albums. She still reaches me more than many artists today, mostly because she is unapologetically herself. As a trans person, I appreciate that inspiration.
I never eat hamburgers
The last burger I ate was in a Singapore airport in 2014. Growing up, they were my absolute favorite. Now, I feel that there are a lot of better options.
I enjoyed square dancing in school
Yes, it’s true. The songs were dorky, and the moves were corny, but I loved it! I enjoyed learning the routines and creating harmony in the square. Plus, I got to dance with cute boys sometimes!
I hope you have enjoyed the list! I look forward to many more weirdness to come!
“Do you not realize that all these things you do hurt me?” he asked.
“I apologized for that. I thought we were over that,” I pleaded.
“Then you call me your boyfriend, but you don’t tell your parents,” he continued. “And you know that people around here already know about us, yet you won’t hold my hand at lunch. Not to mention that you still won’t touch me.”
I looked down in shame. “I told you it’s hard for me.”
“So when does it get hard for me, Oakley? How long am I supposed to date someone who seems repulsed by me?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what to say. You know I’m straight.”
Jody wiped some tears from his eyes. “Maybe that’s the problem. I shouldn’t be wasting my time on a straight guy, or at least a guy who keeps insisting that he is straight. I told you upfront that we could be friends and that if you wanted to pursue this, then you needed to be ready to actually do it.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” I asked desperately. Jody finally made eye contact.
“No, not yet anyway. But I’m not waiting for you, Oakley. You need to figure this out because my heart isn’t a tool for you to figure out your sexual orientation.”
“I promise. I’ll try harder. Don’t give up on us yet.” I grabbed his hands.
Jody smiled and went to touch my cheek with his hand, but I pulled away. He shook his head in disappointment.
Carey lives in Montana, and identifies as nonbinary, transmasculine (AFAB) and panromantic asexual. Due to the lack of resources in rural communities, Carey has discovered that writing about his lived experiences is a therapeutic outlet for him and hopes that his readers relate to his own personal struggles and triumphs shared through his characters’ narratives. Carey is particularly interested in exploring relationship conflicts around sexuality and gender differences. He has also worked as a high school writing instructor and college writing instructor, earning a B.A. in English Literature, a M.Ed. in English Education, and Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education all from the University of Georgia. In 2020, Carey earned his second M.Ed. in Counselor Education and works as a licensed clinical professional counselor, LCPC. He has a strong passion for working with the unique mental health issues of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Readers can learn more about Carey from his blog, www.careypw.com. When he is not writing, Carey is busy training for marathons, parenting his six cats, sharing his culinary talents on social media, serving on the board for the nonprofit Center for Studies of the Person (CSP) and learning photography.
Carey PW loves to hear from readers. You can find his contact information, website and author biography at http://www.pride-publishing.com.
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Thanks for hositng!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting! Fun interview. Carey PW
ReplyDeleteThis was, hands down, one of (if not THE) the coolest sets of "fun facts" I've read! Thank you for your candor, and it was awesome getting to know you!
DeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you check it out. Carey PW
DeleteGood morning. Thank you for sharing your fun facts, bio and book details. I am sure that someone must have asked you this but would you mind explaining the title for your book? Given the cloudy skies on the cover I thought that maybe you prefer gray days as I do, but that may have absolutely nothing to do with it so I figured that I'd ask...
ReplyDeleteSo, I do actually like gray, cloudy skies and cool weather. :) The title is commenting on the gray in sexuality. That people don't necessarily fit into neat boxes or labels. Carey PW
DeleteOh, duh, that makes perfect sense! And I agree with that completely. We as a society seem to need to label everything though, it is always either or, this or that, but despite my age I have always celebrated all of the complex and lovely shades of grey...
DeleteMy husband taught me the true meaning of it. He loved me presenting as a woman, and he loves presenting as a man. He didn't think he could handle my transition when I came out as transgender. He surprised himself. :) Carey PW
Deleteheartbreaking. i hope they both figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI think you will be pleasantly surprised. :) Carey PW
Deletegood <3
DeleteLooks like such a good read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry. I appreciate the support. Carey PW
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for the spotlight!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you check it out. :) Carey PW
DeleteGreat excerpt! It sounds like an amazing read.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I hope you check it out. Carey PW
DeleteSounds like a great read, can't wait to check this out!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you like it. I'd love to hear what you think. :) Carey PW
DeleteDo you have any plans to write a sequel?
ReplyDeleteNot at this time. This one is a standalone. However, I just finished the draft of the first book in a series that I am working on. All my books are set in the same town of Cloverleaf, so they have some continuation in that way. Carey PW
DeleteI enjoyed reading the fun facts and the excerpt, Grayality sounds like a great book to read!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it with me and have a splendid day!
Thanks, Stormy. I hope you check it out. Carey PW
DeleteWith the increase of acceptance, however limited that may be in some situations, it is interesting to think back in history and wonder how many were living in situations where they could never be themselves.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. As much as we continue to face conflict, we have to remember that things are improving. No one that I was around was talking about being transgender when I was growing up. Thus, I didn't know about it to know that I was trans. I just knew how I felt and just thought I couldn't do anything about it. I'm glad that more people are aware now. Carey PW
Deletelooks like a fun one
ReplyDeleteThanks. I hope you check it out. I'd love to hear what you think. :) Carey PW
DeleteDo you have any go to books as a comfort read?
ReplyDeleteI just grab random books. I don't stick to a particular genre. It makes things interesting. Carey PW
DeleteDo you have recommendations for a great fall read?
ReplyDeleteI just finished Honour's Rest by Judith Crow. It is a young adult fantasy novel. It was fun and relaxing. Carey PW
DeleteWhat's your favorite part of fall?
ReplyDeleteAll of it. Fall is my favorite time of year followed by winter. Fall lets me know that nice, cool weather is coming. I love anything pumpkin and bake a lot of pumpkin dishes and desserts this time of year. My house always smells good! Carey PW
DeleteDo you plan to only write in this genre?
ReplyDeleteNo, I just finished the first book in a dark fantasy series. However, my upcoming novel, Acing the Game, is still in the contemporary romance genre. Carey PW
DeleteIf you weren't a writer, what kind of career do you think you'd have?
ReplyDeleteI do have other careers. I have worked in education since 2004 and currently work as a college instructor in human services and chemical dependency counseling. I am a licensed clinical professional counselor, too. I plan to start teaching less and counseling more. I would say that my career has been focused on academics. Carey PW
Deletety for helping to bring these stories to the mainstream ^_^ it's really hard to find a good story with a trans main character! one of my kids is trans and i'm always on the lookout for good representation but it's only been in the past few years i can really find any.
ReplyDeleteAll my stories have trans characters, including my next novel, Acing the Game. I plan to continue writing with trans main characters. You are right. There is more literature needed for this population. It's what inspired me to write. Carey PW
DeleteIs there a season you tend to write more in?
ReplyDeleteI used to write mostly in the summers and during winter break. Now, I write all year. It is easier to do it during the summer and winter, though because my work schedule slows down. Carey PW
DeleteDo you have a favorite book?
ReplyDeleteI don't have one favorite. It's too hard to narrow it down that way. I loved the Picture of Dorian Gray. I enjoyed the His Dark Materials series. I loved The Grapes of Wrath. Black Boy and Native Son are good classics, too. Oh, and certainly Animal Farm and 1984. Those are on my top list.
DeleteDo you have any plans for Thanksgiving?
ReplyDeleteWe don't travel. My husband and I cook our own dinner. I make stuffing and a pumpkin cheesecake, and he smokes the turkey. We also give some turkey to our six cats. Carey PW
DeleteHave a wonderful Friday and weekend!
ReplyDelete