Mate of Her Own
by Elena Abbott
Released: Oct 10, 2023
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Why this book and why now?
After writing Pack of Her Own, I found that I had not only created a transgender character, but another character had a life that was very reminiscent of many trans stories. So I became obsessed with writing Heather’s story, to see where she went after being set free. In a way she follows a lot of my own story regarding my transition and life that I’ve dealt with.
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
I honestly thought that in the beginning it would be a straightforward paranormal romance, with more action than emotion and that V was going to be cisgender. Jokes on me how V turned out to be a much more interesting three-dimensional character who defies gender norms and Heather had too much going on in her head to leave it unwritten, much like myself.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Oh jeez, I think Heather would binge watch anything that has a werewolf in it, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Teen Wolf. She’d totally think she could learn to be a werewolf by watching them portrayed on TV. V, on the other hand, is a secret lover of reality television, in particular cooking competitions like Cutthroat Kitchen and Guy’s Grocery Games.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
V has a secret love for all things Dungeons and Dragons, and owns most of the books that come with the hobby in the hopes of playing the game some day. Heather is pretty into sapphic fiction and right now her favorite book would be The Bartender’s Pride by TJ Dallas.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
If you’ve ever been to Canada you’d learn quickly that people up here are obsessed with their ‘Timmies’ coffee. Heather shies away from the stuff, though, and would probably be much more simple in reaching for a Wild Cherry Pepsi over anything else. You may laugh, but that stuff is hard to find up here outside of an import store. And it’s delicious.
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Right now, Heather’s in the mood to shock and awe, and would probably play She’s Pretty by Beth McCarthy. It’s catchy and a little boppy and entirely wonderfully sapphic. I personally can’t get enough of it.
