A Niche is Sometimes more than a niche.

Writing a thriller, hell, any novel genre for that matter, and having it represent and empower trans women is something with which I’m all in. My main character, Mary Dubois, despite having to deal with early childhood trauma, anxiety and the regular, everyday insensitivities found in society regarding trans women, is, by and far, a positive example of a strong, intelligent trans woman protagonist.

I also happen to be a queer trans woman writer who loves Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs and subsequent novels involving serial killer Hannibal Lecter. I’m absolutely a fan of Clarice Starling. It may seem a tad contradictory on my part to be writing about a trans woman who fights crime, and also enjoy a novel in which the killer gives off vibes of transness.

I guess I’m complicated. What I like about Harris’s novels is his writing style because I can see my approach to storytelling reflected back at me. No, I’m not at all comparing the quality of my writing to his, just that his style feels like a warm blanket of a chilly night. To be clear, it’s the style and storytelling approach that I find so relatable and familiar.

When I was actively pursuing a career as a paintress, I focused the last twenty years to creating painting that represented queer people, in particular queer women. With eyesight no longer as sharp and a drawing hand that had grown weaker after tearing ligaments, I decided it was time to plunge into another artistic endeavour I was deeply drawn to but had not really acted on–writing.

Since I have long been a fan of thrillers of all kinds, I decided I would write my own, and my stories would reflect queer life. Basically, I wanted to write stories I’d read. It wasn’t long before Mary Dubois came to life. Drawing from other trans women I have known over the years, I started crafting her personality, strong and weak traits, failures, victories and accomplishments. Some of my own personality may have seeped through, but her intelligence and powers of observation leave me in the dust.

Pushing back against how the media and Hollywood has depicted trans women is of paramount importance for me. My pushback comes about by creating empowered and empowering characters in their queerness. Depicting queer, trans women and other queers in a light that speaks to how more similar than different we all are is key, but I will always insist on our beautiful uniqueness since it is part and parcel of our being.

I hope a wide range of readers will enjoy my stories because our humanity binds us, and our differences only add to our value as a species. Now, I’ll get back to another round of revisions before moving on to the second installment of the Mary Dubois Thrillers.

Big shout out to sister queer, trans authors Dharma Kelleher, Robyn Gigl, and Renee James. Ladies, your captivating thriller novels are great, and you are all wonderful examples, showing the way for those of us who are following in your footsteps.

Joelle Circé