From Unbound to Frontier Kindred: A New Journey
Hey Everyone!
This month, I’m shifting gears a bit from my ongoing discussion about Unbound. I’m thrilled to share some exciting news—my second novel, Frontier Kindred, is now live on Amazon in both Kindle e-book and paperback formats!
While I still have much more to say about Unbound (and I promise ’ll return to that series of posts soon), I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the release of Frontier Kindred and share a few non-spoiler insights: the inspiration behind it, how is differed from writing Unbound, and how it shapes my future as a writer.
All of my writing so far centers on LGBTQ+ themes—because that’s where my heart is. As a gay man who grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I waited many years for queer stories to be told. Even today, I feel the genre is still underserved. I write stories not only to reflect my own identity but also to honor the experiences of those who never had the chance to tell theirs. My hope is that readers—whether they share those experiences or not—find something true and inspiring in the pages.
Interestingly, the spark for Frontier Kindred came from my husband, John. At first, I resisted the idea of historical fiction—it wasn’t a genre I imagined myself writing. But the more I thought about his suggestion, the more it resonated. Every queer love story is unique, and setting one in a completely different time period only heightened its power. Soon, characters began to take shape, the plot found its rhythm, and my imagination took off.
Writing Unbound was deeply personal—it grew out of my own lived experiences. It was therapeutic, almost cathartic, even as I shaped it into fiction. By contrast, Frontier Kindred opened a new creative door for me. I fell headfirst into building a world from scratch—immersing myself in the history, the setting, and the characters until they felt alive. I researched tirelessly to bring authenticity to the story while letting the romance and humanity shine at its center.
By the time, I wrote the last line of Frontier Kindred, I knew one book wouldn’t be enough. The world and characters had more to say. That’s why I’m excited to share that Frontier Kindred is just the beginning—it’s the first book in a trilogy. I’ve already started drafting book two, and I can honestly say it’s shaping up to be just as special.
Enough for now! I’ll be back next month to continue our deep dive into Unbound, looking at specific scenes (with spoiler alerts, of course). In the meantime, thank you for celebrating this milestone with me.
Be happy, be well!
— Chris
