When Rules to Live By came out earlier this year, I started getting messages asking when Sam would get his story. At the time, I wasn’t sure if he would, but I’m so glad y’all fell in love with him!
I have to tell you… as I learned more about Sam, I got scared.
He’s a character unlike any other I’ve written to this point. He’s a little through-and-through, but there’s more…
Sam’s trans.
Why is that scary? Because he’s not the “typical” trans guy, or at least what a lot of people think of when it comes to trans guys.
But he’s real. He’s one version of what trans looks like. And in a way, maybe the book was therapeutic, too. Writing this book allowed me to let go of a lot of the BS I’ve allowed myself to believe about what I should look like.
But it’s not a heavy story. Theron is the ultimate Daddy, in my totally biased opinion. Don’t believe me? Here’s his reaction when Sam comes out to him:
I steepled my fingers against my chin, hunching my shoulders forward to make myself appear small. I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths before opening them to look directly at Sam. The goal here was to hide my rage over whoever hurt him in the past. “What would you say if I told you I’d been in a horrible work accident and I’d lost my dick?”
That got exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for. Sam gaped at me before bursting out laughing. “I’d ask what you did for a living.”
“I’m a high school principal,” I informed him. He’d missed the point, but the tension had been cut. “Would you think me less of a man if I didn’t have my penis because of a work accident?”
“Of course not!”
“Then why would I think any less of you because you weren’t born with a penis attached to your body?” At every turn, Sam amazed me. His earlier apprehension made sense now. He’d been scared that being honest with me would send me running, but the exact opposite was true. It was nearly impossible for me to keep from pulling him onto my lap so I could tell him it would all be okay.
I want to say thank you to everyone who’s hopped on this wild ride with me! The Lodge has been a blast to write, and I can’t wait for you to see the grand-reopening of the back room next year!
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