All of my books are special to me for various reasons, but this one is unique. When I was in college, I worked with a transwoman named Didi. She was the first transperson I ever met. She was also in the process of transitioning, and very open about he her experience. Didi was married with kids when she admitted to herself that she was trans, and she and her wife stayed together. To 20-year-old me, that said a lot about the nature and power of love.
Fast forward a couple of decades, when Post Secret became popular. One secret in particular caught people’s attention (at one point, they were planning a movie about it). It said simply, “Everyone I knew before 9/11 thinks I’m dead.” That got me thinking. Then, when Lela Alcorn posted her suicide note online, it struck a chord in me. I thought more about what drives people to make choices, and then something reminded me of Didi. Everything clicked into place, and Finding Tranquility was born.
This isn’t a story about transitions or what it’s like to be trans. It’s a story about the nature and power of love. It’s a story written for people who helped me to reexamine my internalized biases, and for that I am grateful. I hope the book speaks to you as well.
Jess Cooper lost her husband on 9/11. Just not in the way she thought.
On September 11, 2001, Brett Cooper checks into a flight to go on an interview for a job he doesn’t want, in a city where he doesn’t want to live. All to make his wife happy. He loves her, but he’s not happy in his marriage. Or in his body, really. As boarding begins, Brett panics and gives his ticket away. When his plane strikes the World Trade Center, he realizes that he’s been given a second chance to live the life he always wanted.
Brett disappears into the chaos, hoping to figure out who he’s meant to be. With help from some new friends, Brett begins to transition into Christa. A tragedy sends Christa further north to Canada, where she builds a new life. For eighteen years, Christa’s life is peaceful and easy until she runs into Jess. Jess used her husband’s life insurance to go to medical school. When she discovers that she’s actually not a widow, it throws her entire future into question. Making matters more complicated is the discovery that all of the love Jess held for her spouse is alive and well. Christa and Jess must figure out what the future holds for them—if Christa has a future at all, with the reemergence of the missing Canadian woman whose identity Christa “borrowed”.
Can love conquer all, or is it sometimes better to let go?
Take a look at just some of the excellent reviews that have been received so far. 
“It’s about loving the person regardless of gender and finding your happy in a world that isn’t always so accepting. Gender and sexual preference aside, Finding Tranquility is a moving story about love, loss, acceptance, and forgiveness. ” – Becky at Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
“I was worried I wouldn’t like this one. Luckily I was proven wrong.” – Ela at The Queer Bookish
Available in ebook, paperback, and large print (audio coming soon). Get your copy today!