A Season of Reflection: Finding Light in Two Stories
Hey Everyone,
It’s great to be back on the blog this month and during what has always been my favorite time of the year. Despite growing up in a dysfunctional and abusive home, the holiday season still holds a special place in my heart. My mom made sure of that. It remains one of her greatest accomplishments, and it’s something I’ve always given her credit for. Because of her, December has always carried a quiet kind of magic and, for me, it’s also a time of deep reflection.
Not a single December goes by that I don’t find myself thinking about my teenage years, those formative, complicated moments of growing up, feeling different, and trying to understand my place in the world. So, in that spirit of memory and meaning, I want to continue my scene discussion series from Unbound but also take this opportunity to share a bit about Frontier Kindred as well.
Spoiler alert for those who haven’t read either book yet. In both novels, I intentionally included scenes set during the Christmas season. I did that not only because I love the time of year, but because I wanted to use the contrast of holiday joy to reflect the emotional complexity in my characters’ lives.
In Unbound, the Christmas scene where Andy travels home on leave is drawn directly from my own experience. Those trips back home during the holidays were always bittersweet, filled with conflicting emotions. But because my mom always made Christmas feel warm and welcoming, I went home. Being there, even with its challenges, was better than being alone. That sense of bittersweet hope, of showing up for yourself even when it’s hard, was something I needed to put into Andy’s story.
Frontier Kindred, on the other hand, gave me the chance to explore the kind of Christmas I had always yearned for: one shared with the person you truly love, even if the world doesn’t approve. In the book, two men fall in love in a time and place where they don’t belong, where their love is a quiet rebellion. And yet, during the Christmas season, their bond shines with hope and resilience. That contrast, joy and hardship, love and judgment, made it the perfect emotional counterpoint in the story.
That’s really the heart of what I wanted to share this month. Both Unbound and Frontier Kindred are love stories, but they carry different weights. One reflects the past I lived. The other explores a truth I wish more people, past and present, had the chance to experience.
I’ll be back next month with more scene breakdowns and reflections. Until then, be kind to yourselves, take care of each other, and embrace whatever this season means to you.
Be happy and be well,
— Chris
