To the Beat of My Heart

Foreword

Tourette's!

Sorry to shout. It's important you know that this is a big part of this book. And that is pretty scary. How do I portray it right, a condition I don't have? Why am I writing a character with this neurological condition? When I portrayed his tics and such in his last book (read on to find out a little bit more about that), I had interruptions where it would mention he was experiencing tics and twitches, whether they be very physical or nasal and sometimes they would fade away as his partner, Clay didn't notice them. I can't do that here, at least, not in the same way. I'll have a few tricks up my sleeve, but what I really want to do is just continue this idea that it is a part of him, but it doesn't define all who he is. He will encounter situations and people who will judge him and challenge him for it, but he is still a beautiful, sassy, overly sentimental ball of fluff. A complex human being who will stumble and ache regardless of his neurological condition. And because this is Fletcher's P.O.V. we will get some more experience with it, from childhood to his current twenty-two-year-old self.

So, back to the question I raised: Why does Fletcher's character have Tourette's? The big word here is inspired. I was inspired by the story of this young guy named Adam Ladell. A super friendly teen from Melbourne, Australia who, despite his condition, won't let that stop him from pursuing his music career. He doesn't want to be known as the guy with Tourette's, that it isn't all that defines him. I've constantly been inspired by his determination, positivity and just all around awesomeness. You can look him up. He has a YouTube channel. 

But that inspiration comes in two parts. Because I wanted a character to live with this condition to share and expose this to more people. There's so much confusion and anger from much of the public who think people are faking it or can just stop. That's so irritating, and I don't even have to endure that. So I wanted people to be aware of it, and maybe someone with Tourette's stumbles upon the last book, or this one, and can be happy that they can relate on this level. There's one particular fan of the first book that has Tourette's and that was so happy to find a character like Fletcher. I think it's so important to have that representation. I know I love gay characters because so much of my life has been reading/watching heterosexual romances and when you encounter a gay protagonist/couple, you have that warm, feel-good moment because finally, finally you can relate to that character on a deeper level. I hope more people write their #ownvoices stories, just as I can write about a gay guy suffering from depression and anxiety. XD So yes, Tourette's is a big aspect of Fletcher's life, and I hope you learn a lot about it, and how Fletcher is an extraordinary dude who also just happens to have Tourette's.

But of course, the narrative must come first, and this isn't a diary of a guy with Tourette's and how he deals with that on a day-to-day basis. This is a story about four young guys on a world tour, each with their own vices and vulnerabilities, and Fletcher feeling aimless and lost, realising following in Clay's shadow isn't enough to bring him true happiness.

So this book is a semi-sequel to Finding the Pure Note, but it's also standalone, so don't worry about having to jump back and read that. Though I do encourage you to because I love that book and the characters I created there, and it will give you more of Fletcher and Clay and how they are so connected in each other's lives. I knew Fletcher would have Tourette's because I wanted it to be something that didn't crush his spirit, that despite the world not understanding him, his best mate in the world, Clay, did and that meant his love for him was unending. Perhaps too strong 'cause he overlooked Clay's worst vices and tried to let them slide as long as he could before it pulled him to the tipping point. But that journey you can read in that book. I want to talk a bit more about Fletcher and some of the other elements in this story.

This book is mature, but nothing too harrowing. I'm not leaving my characters scarred messes at the end, I swear. There will be swearing, sexual content, distressing scenes (nothing traumatic, just emotional and honest, I hope) and also it's four guys in their twenties on a world tour. Music will play a big role, as it did with Finding the Pure Note, but not as essential as it was there. Music was the biggest part of Clay's life, but if you asked Fletcher, he would say Clay is his, and that's it. He needs a purpose beyond that, and so this book is Fletcher on a journey to find himself and his future, as I mentioned earlier, independent of following in Clay's shadow.