We’ve all heard the old outside the box analogy. I’m twisting it just a bit—because I can. Publishing in general likes to box everything because that makes it easier for marketing strategies. To put it in the most simple terms, they want to know which shelf to put it on in the bookstore.

I don’t fit very well on the shelf in the bookstore. I tend to write beyond the box, and above the covers. I don’t want to hold my characters back because they need to fit on a specific shelf. Writing character driven stories is my jam, my peanut butter, my sourdough and my candy. In doing so I don’t follow a lot of trope rules. What that means is that I have characters you’re not likely to meet in other stories interacting with some that you probably would.

That’s what I love to do most, and why most of my stories are time travel. Taking a modern day professional Dominatrix and tossing her back into stuffy old Victorian England and then…What happens next? An awful lot, as it happens.

But where do you shelve a Victorian time travel BDSM romance?

Time travel is considered paranormal, but my books are more fish out of water than HG Wellian. I don’t fit there.

Historicals are usually Regency era and quite dedicated to the time period as a full character in the story. It’s closest, but I don’t always have much of the world around the characters beyond their own experience included in the book.

Erotic Romance is the home of BDSM, and that’s great because there are so many sub genres to erotic romance… but not all of my books are erotic romance.

Here’s the breakdown for the series.

• The Rake and The Recluse: cis-hetero time travel romance. Fairly basic in a really exciting way with two complete love stories.
• The Duke and The Baron: cis-hetero ménage romance — not erotic romance. (While it’s explicit, it doesn’t have the language of an erotic romance)
• The Duke and The Domina: cis-hetero BDSM time travel erotic romance. (referenced above, looking for a shelf)
• The Trouble With Grace: cis-autochorissexual erotic romance with threads of gay erotic romance. (more about this in a moment)
• The Spare and The Heir: cis-gay and bisexual erotic romance with threads of a-sexual spectrum erotic romance.

These are all books in the Lords of Time series—as different in content as they are. Why? Because my world looks like this. My friends identify in all sorts of ways. Gay, straight, lesbian, a-sexual, bisexual, queer, the list goes on… So I don’t restrict my characters to a specific subgenre. Because my life is full and rich with so many different faces and I want my books to reflect that.

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A little bit about The Trouble With Grace.

This is my newest release, having come out in April. Celeste is autochorissexual.

Autochorissexuality is a subset of asexuality. Celeste would probably identify as gray asexual in the 21st century. She’s also a woman of color. Her grandmother is from Capri, and her family is of the peerage in England in 1885.

Her hero, Quinn, is bisexual—the spare.

His hero, Calder, is gay—the heir to a duke.

This book is Celeste’s story, it’s her sexual awakening, her HFN. The next book is Calder and Quinn’s HEA.

So, when I say Quinn’s her hero, it’s not in the traditional Romance genre sense. Except it also is because Quinn helps Celeste discover who she is, and why it is she doesn’t want to touch or be touched. It’s a lovely story about discovering yourself, about love and learning what it means to be a true friend to someone you care about.

I’m so very much in love with these characters. Celeste came out of nowhere and took over the story for what was supposed to be a m/m romance. I let her speak after she refused to quiet and what she gave me is one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve written. She’s magical.

This book, as you can see, isn’t for everyone. But I like to think it is and I hope people give it a try. I think reaching beyond ourselves into the lives of others is what our world needs and what will give us more empathy and make us more conscious moving forward as a society.

The thing I love most about writing is opening minds and changing perceptions. If I can introduce one person to something new, something that once frightened them and help them to see there’s nothing there to be scared of? That’s all I want.

To convince you to give Celeste’s story a try, I’ve included a couple excerpts from reviews:

“The Trouble with Grace has what I would consider to be a non-traditional HFN (no one dies). Readers will have to accept that Celeste wants and needs something different to be fulfilled and happy. Jenn LeBlanc convinced me - and also left me wanting. Looking for an angsty and emotional romance? This one fits the bill. Prepare to have your heart bruised.”

—Jennifer Porter, Romance Novel News

“When I want a well-researched completely different read I reach for a Jenn LeBlanc book. I adore this series…This book is Grace’s story and it sets up Quinn and Calder’s tale. Which I am now anxiously awaiting. This book like all the others in this series defies labels. It is a historical/time travel romance with m/m elements. This is not your mother’s historical. This is a sexy convoluted tale of self-discovery.”

—D. Antonio, Goodreads reviewer

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Here’s the blurb:

She had no idea what passion was,

Until she saw them…

Lady Alain needs a husband, and Quintin Wyntor will do just fine.

She will offer him a mutual agreement of respect and independence-

As long as he never visits her bed to claim his marital rights.

But seeing him with a man, with Calder, changes it all.

For better—and for worse.

Passion stirred.

Desire ignited.

And yet, she still never wants to touch or be touched.

Quinn’s heart is shattered when his lover walks away so he decides to explore his feelings for Celeste to ease his broken heart.

In one unchecked moment of passion, mutual need spins out of control and bringing Calder home now may just be impossible.

Will Celeste give in to what Quinn wants for her?

Or will she stand her ground and hope they find another way…

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This book is the story of Celeste and has her happily for now.

It is also the beginning of Calder and Quinn’s story which will be continued in The Spare and the Heir.

This book is an autochorissexual romance (on the asexual spectrum) but contains important pieces of a gay romance. Both are explicit.

Warning: this book has a cliffhanger ending for Calder and Quinn, but is very much part of their story.

Warning: this is not a kissing book, but it is a dirty book

Warning: You’re going to fall in love, and it’s going to hurt.

The Trouble With Grace is available now from EverAfter, Diversion.

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Jenn LeBlanc can be reached via Twitter and Facebook, and as a photographer she is often posting on Instagram as well. She’s happy to field questions and concerns with her novels. Of course she also likes to hear from those who loved the novels a well.

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If you would like to meet Jenn in person she’ll be signing at Octavia Books in New Orleans on May 7th!

Info:

Come chat us up!

May 7, 2016 5:00pm: Booklovers’ Cocktail Hour Starring the Bourbon Street Sour with authors Andrew Shaffer, Tiffany Reisz and Jenn LeBlanc. No ticket required.

Octavia Books

513 Octavia Street

(corner of Laurel)

New Orleans, Louisiana

If you would like to order a signed book from the event, please contact the bookstore directly:

504-899-READ (7323)

Get all of the info here!