Interview with MB Guel, author of THEY AIN'T PROPER

 

Today's interview is with MB Guel (they/them) about their recently released book, They Ain't Proper! I was thrilled to read this book and interview the author about it because...well, I want my historical books featuring trans characters! That just hits somewhere perfect for me! Especially if they're set in the country like this book!

In this interview we talked about the vibes of this book, where the idea for They Ain't Proper came from, how the book changed from the first draft, and their favorite scene to write! This was a brilliant interview and I am so thankful that they agreed to take part in it and let me read their book! As always, information to follow them on their socials and purchase their books will be at the end of the interview.
     

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When did you first start writing?

Honestly, I've been writing as long as I can remember being able to write. When I was a little I made up my own stories all day then I'd tell my cousin at bedtime. As I got older I just started writing them down. It was anything from my own stories to fanfiction. I took a few breaks here and there through the years, but I started writing again a few years ago and just decided to stick with it for good this time.

That's amazing!! I love that you've always been a storyteller, and that you used to tell your cousin your stories! I'll admit to being intrigued by which fandoms you've written fanfiction for!

Can you describe this book (or the mood for this book) in 3 words?

Queer. Romantic. Mysterious.

Perfect! That's this book in a nutshell! Add in some yeehaw (which I hope is apparent by the cover) and you're set!

What inspired the idea for this book?

A general love for yeehaw and being slightly obsessed with it. I want to be a cowboy so badly so I decided to write about it. When I decided I wanted it to be a trans love story and I wanted it to be in a setting we didn't typically get, the old west was the first thing I thought of. It feels like the queer community is really embracing and reclaiming the country culture and I wanted to offer a humble contribution.

Same!!! My brain wants me to be a cowboy so bad, but then I remember that I like home comforts too much for that! Yes! I love that! I love the idea and feeling that the queer community is taking country back!

Why make this book take place in a historical setting?

With all of the horrible rhetoric and anti-trans legislation going around right now, I wanted to share a story of not only trans joy, but trans resistance through history. Queer people have been around forever, just because they were forced to live in hiding or get written out of their own stories doesn't mean that they didn't exist and I think it's really important to recognize that.

Thank you! Yes!! It's so important, especially at a time like now, to realize that we've always existed whether they wanted us to or not!

Were there any major plot points that changed from the first draft of this book to the final draft?

In the first draft, Lou was a cis female lesbian. I wrote this story before I transitioned and before I really recognized the non-binary part of myself, so while the elements of Lou's gender queerness were always in the story, it wasn't fully labeled until after I made my own gender discoveries. Then I saw the character Lou was trying to be the whole time, I let them be who they wanted to be on the page and they became the beautiful transmasc genderqueer person they wanted to be the whole time.

Another smaller element is that I had a whole sequence, probably at least two or three more chapters, that involved a train, a horse chase and lots of gun fighting, but ultimately it didn't add to the plot so it was taken out.

I'm always curious how authors' personally transitioning or figuring themselves out effect the books that they write. I'm glad you were able to recognize that part of yourself and that part of Lou! I'll admit though, now I'm curious about that sequence! I don't think it would have fit well with the rest of the book, but I'm still intrigued.

Did you have to do any research in writing this book?

There was a lot of research done on the time period. Admittedly a lot of my "research" was playing Red Dead Redemption II and that's where I got a lot of my inspiration while I was writing. If I got stuck I'd play the game for a bit until I had words again.

As someone who used Assassin's Creed Odyssey as research for my Ancient Greek language course, that sounds like the perfect way of doing research! And if it serves as a way to get you unstuck, that's even better!

What was it like getting this book published?

Well, I sent the synopsis to Bella when I was part way through the book and then they greenlit it. After that, I finished the book and sent it on to them and we worked it from there!

Sounds like that went nice and easy! Glad to hear it!

So I know that at least one of the character names changed prior to release. How did you come up with the characters' names?

Coming up with character names is one of my least favorite things. I feel like names should be important and meaningful but never want them to be too "on the nose", so I struggle! I go through a lot of baby name lists, especially for period pieces, to see what sort of names were popular at the time. For this book I picked my favorite old names but then realized too many were similar so I had to change some after the first draft.

Fair! Names can be really hard sometimes!

What was your favorite scene to write? What was the hardest scene to write?

My favorite scenes to write were the ones about Lou and their gender expression. It was really important to me that I showed them putting on and taking off a binder, that was something I was really excited to write. Them binding was really important to me, that's why I asked my partner Ally who did the cover to make Lou's shirt open, so that I could show them binding on the front cover. The hardest scenes to write always end up being the sex scenes. It's just hard for me to keep track of where all the hands are and to be clear with action but also sexy but not too crass. I think a lot about it. Maybe too much.

I loved that! That Lou bound but also that it was on the cover!! Probably one of my favorite covers for that point alone! Also, fair! Writing sex scenes just sounds really difficult and I applaud you for seeing it through!

Are there any songs that make you think of this book?

There are a couple of songs I listened to over and over again while writing the book. The first one is the "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead (You Rascal You)" cover by Ingrid Michaelson. It feels like a very classic cowboy song about revenge and made me think of spaghetti westerns which is why I love it so much. The second one is "Beat The Devil's Tattoo" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I just really like the beat and the vibe and it really invokes some cowboy angst.

I've not heard of either of those songs before but now I'm going to have to give them a listen! I love the title of both of them!!

Do you currently have any other writing projects that you're working on?

I'm working on a couple of fun writing projects in the works. I'm writing another young adult novel that is a little supernatural, little witchy, and ultimately a hilarious love letter to fandom and fan culture. I'm also working on a trans queer story that takes place on a reality show that makes me laugh.

Both of those sound absolutely amazing!! I'll have to make sure to keep a close eye on your pages in case you post more information about them in the future.

Thank you so much to MB Guel for taking part in this interview and thank you to anyone who has read this interview!! This was a fabulous experience and I hope it has made you want to read this book! I personally highly recommend it! It's a brilliant read!

If you like what I do, consider giving me a follow on social media or consider sharing or donating my GCLS GoFundMe. I appreciate any help or shares that I can get! Every little bit matters. Thank you for reading!!

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You can find MB Guel on their website, Instagram, and Twitter.

You can buy MB Guel's books from Ripped Bodice, Frugal Frigate, and Amazon.

If you can't buy their books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!