We’re so pleased to have author Grace R. Duncan joining us today on the tour for her latest release, Forgiveness, book four in the Forbes Mate series. We have a great guest post as well as a giveaway to share with you, so be sure to check out all the details for that below.

Welcome, Grace!

Writing POC characters as a non-POC author…

…is terrifying.

It sounds a little crazy but my characters often tell me who they are. They often tell me their names, what they like, where they’re from… the whole thing. I have a small sheet I fill out with their information. I almost always have an actor or some other person who looks like them and I’ll collect pictures.

Well, when Ben told me who he was, I had a not-so-minor panic attack.

I think it’s incredibly important to have diversity in fiction. I love to read about a range of different people in books. I find it fascinating to read about other cultures and traditions.

So, I want to include, well, non-white characters. And that opportunity cropped up when Ben’s background became clear. But the truth is, it scared the shit out of me. I wanted to get it right. There are so many ways it can go wrong, so many things I can get wrong.

Out of all the possible cultures, though, Mexican was probably the best one for me to tackle. My sister-in-law is from Durango, Mexico (where Ben’s parents are from—he and his sister were born in the United States). More than half the houses on my street (including two immediate neighbors) have occupants who are also from Mexico. So, I had opportunity to research and—hopefully—get it right. Hopefully.

I should clarify something here: I use “Mexican” and not “Latinx” deliberately. Ben’s parents—like my sister-in-law—call themselves Mexican, because that is where they are from. I absolutely respect anyone who prefers to use Latinx. I based this only on those around me that told me they prefer it.

I struggled with the language usage, with the cultural differences, and even with food and music preferences. I wanted to maintain authenticity without turning Ben into some cartoonish representation.

Even while I was originally writing, before I went in to refine details, double check things (like the Spanish), and so on, I tried to be careful of the culture. I am surrounded by it, and so it is easy for me to forget what I know and what I see every day and assume the reader knows it. But I didn’t want to go overboard, either.

In the end, I checked with more than a few people, and even ran it past a cultural editor (I honestly forget what DsP calls them. I don’t *think* it’s the sensitivity editor, but I could be wrong. This is the first time I’ve had to use one.) to make sure I didn’t go overboard. It passed my betas, my editors, the cultural editor, and the others I checked in with.

I wasn’t sure how much I’d want to put more POCs in my books. It was very nerve wracking, trying to get it right and not go crazy with it. At the same time, I thought if I’d managed to do it well enough, and if I could contribute to diversity even a little, I’d like to. Well, I’ve taken the leap already (assuming I haven’t thoroughly offended anyone), and the next Forbes story will be an expansion of the short I wrote for the Love Wins anthology, Hope, into a full-length novel.

Again, that is, as long as I haven’t really screwed this one up.

I hope not. I’d like to be able to contribute to the diversity. I am disappointed in myself for not having thought to have Reese Dante darken Ben’s skin on the cover. (In my defense, I’m still feeling my way around for what things they’re capable of in photo manipulation covers.) Still, I should have and I’m annoyed with myself that I didn’t. I say this to make sure it’s clear, this was not Dreampsinner’s insistence. This was my mess up. Dreamspinner has been (with me, at least) incredibly open and supportive about helping me keep my character’s cultural background clear and apparent in the way it should be.

Thank you for the space today! I really appreciate the opportunity to share the thoughts on Ben and his background.

About the Book

Nine years ago Eric Joyce went wolf when his chosen mate broke the bond, and he hasn’t walked on two legs since. Convinced he lost his friends when he ran out on them, he cut himself off from the pack. But a surprising visitor prods him back down the mountain, and he finds himself welcomed warmly.

Ben Arellano grew up in Texas with a human Catholic mother who didn’t understand a thing about wolves—and didn’t try to learn. He spent his whole life being told his wolf was a demon that needed to be exorcised, surrounded by a wolf pack made up of good ole boys who had no tolerance for his Mexican ancestry or his bisexuality. When he’s given the opportunity to relocate to an accepting pack in Pittsburgh, he jumps at the chance.

When Eric and Ben meet for the first time, neither is ready for it. Where Ben expects rejection, Eric is convinced yet another mate will leave, break the bond, and put him through the same hell all over again. Can they get past their reservations and have a happily mated life?

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About the Author

Grace Duncan grew up with a wild imagination. She told stories from an early age – many of which got her into trouble. Eventually, she learned to channel that imagination into less troublesome areas, including fanfiction, which is what has led her to writing male/male erotica.

A gypsy in her own right, Grace has lived all over the United States. She has currently set up camp in East Texas with her husband and children – both the human and furry kind.

As one of those rare creatures who loves research, Grace can get lost for hours on the internet, reading up on any number of strange and different topics. She can also be found writing fanfiction, reading fantasy, crime, suspense, romance and other erotica or even dabbling in art.

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