Writing Love That Transcends Time

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Prospect Tower Series

Inspiration

I grew up knowing I was gay, but at the time, that wasn’t something you could say out loud. Being gay was labeled an illness, something people thought needed to be “fixed.” Condemned by religion, bullied by peers—a kid quickly learned to act as straight as possible.

The U.S. military outright prohibited homosexual service members. Recruits were asked about their orientation during the medical survey, and a “yes” meant instant disqualification. I know, because I had to lie to enlist. And once you were in, being found out was dangerous. It could end your career, your future, and even your closest friendships.

When I was stationed in Belgium at NATO headquarters, I had just started to figure myself out. I’d had my first boyfriend, and for a brief time it felt like stepping into the life I had always imagined. But it didn’t last. The relationship ended, and right on its heels came one of the witch hunts that swept through the military in those years. If one person was discovered, everyone connected to them was suddenly under suspicion. I watched soldiers dishonorably discharged and shipped home in disgrace, their lives and futures shattered. It was terrifying.

So, I did what many of us did: I shut it all down. I buried those feelings, retreated back into the straight world, and even got engaged to a woman. But here’s the thing—once you’ve had even a glimpse of love, you can’t un-know it. That longing for a fully lived gay life never left me.

That longing I carried eventually became the heartbeat of my writing. If I couldn’t fully live that love in the past, I could at least create stories where it wasn’t only possible—it was inevitable. That’s how The Prospect Tower Series was born.

The series gave me space to ask: What if love didn’t end with one lifetime? What if two souls kept finding each other, no matter how many times they were separated? Out of those questions came characters who carry their connection across time. And once they showed up, I couldn’t let go of them.

Characters Across Time

At the heart of The Prospect Tower Series are two souls who keep finding each other: Gary and Jon Paul, later reborn as Flint and Zack. Writing them has been both a challenge and a joy. On one hand, they’re brand new people with their own lives, families, and struggles. On the other, they carry echoes of a bond that stretches across lifetimes. Balancing those two truths—fresh characters and ancient love—has been one of the most rewarding parts of the series.

For me, Gary/Flint and Jon Paul/Zack represent what so many of us long for: a connection that goes deeper than chance. They don’t always recognize it at first, and sometimes they fight against it, but something keeps pulling them together. That’s love across time—it doesn’t vanish, it waits.

Of course, no love story exists in isolation. Secondary characters like Isaac, Zander, Eli, and Amaya bring their own layers of meaning. They represent community, chosen family, and the support we all need to navigate love and identity. Writing them reminds me that while love stories often focus on two people, it’s the world around them—the friends, the mentors, the family—that makes those stories feel real.

How These Characters Came About

Zack and Flint didn’t appear fully formed on the page. They started as fragments—what-ifs, glimpses, half-remembered questions that wouldn’t leave me alone. What if love didn’t die when we did? What if the person you were meant to be with showed up again in another lifetime? And what if, by some twist of fate, you actually recognized them?

Those questions first found expression in Gary, who walked onto the page in my debut novel, The Option. At first, he wasn’t meant to be the star—just Max’s uncle, an older man with a quiet history of loss. But even in that supporting role, I sensed there was more to him. He carried weight, a past, and a longing that hinted at bigger things.

In the sequel, Finding Tommy, Gary stepped in again, this time guiding Isaac and Zander while also helping Marcus search for love. Once more, he wasn’t in the spotlight, but he never faded into the background either. The truth is, I couldn’t let him go. His early loss echoed some of what I had felt while serving in the military, and I knew deep down that he deserved another chance—that his story wasn’t finished.

That’s when Jon Paul came into focus. Gary and Jon Paul became the love that started it all—the one cut short but never destroyed. Through them, I could explore how memory, desire, and grief ripple forward into another life, eventually taking shape as Zack and Flint.

And then there were the supporting characters. Isaac and Zander emerged as anchors—older voices carrying wisdom and history. Eli and Amaya arrived later, younger voices who ground Zack and Flint in the here and now. None of them were part of the original plan; they simply showed up and refused to leave. Honestly, those are some of my favorite moments as a writer—when characters knock on the door, step inside, and insist on being part of the story.

Themes That Drive the Story

The Prospect Tower Series has always been about more than just romance. At its core, it’s about love’s ability to survive everything life—and death—throws at it. That idea shapes the themes that keep showing up in the books, sometimes in ways I didn’t even expect.

One of the biggest is memory. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of markers—those little sparks that pull you back to something you can’t quite name. A song, a scent, a place. In the series, they become threads connecting one life to the next, proof that love leaves echoes.

Another is love and loss. These stories don’t shy away from heartbreak, because real love isn’t tidy or easy. Even in the hardest moments, love has a way of leaving hope behind. More than once, I’ve found myself in tears while writing a scene, surprised by how deeply it hit me. For Gary and Jon Paul, that hope carries them forward into Zack and Flint’s lives, where they get another chance.

And then there’s identity. Reincarnation gave me the freedom to explore sexuality and gender in ways that are fluid, layered, and affirming. One of my favorite characters is Eli, a trans man and Zack’s college roommate. He’s funny, brave, and often provides support for Zack—even as he leans on Zack’s friendship and sense of family when he needs it most. And of course, there’s Flint, whose queerness isn’t just tolerated in these stories—it’s celebrated. It’s part of who they are, across lifetimes, and it matters.

For me, all of these themes come back to the same belief: love is stronger than fear, and stronger than death. That’s the heartbeat of the series.

Love That Transcends Time

When I sit back and look at The Prospect Tower Series, I see more than characters and storylines—I see pieces of myself. The fears I carried, the longing I never let go of, and the belief that love is always worth fighting for. Writing these books has been my way of reclaiming something I once had to deny: the chance to live and love openly, fully, and without apology.

But these stories aren’t just mine anymore. Once they’re on the page, they belong to you too—the readers who carry them forward. If you’ve ever believed in love that feels destined, if you’ve ever longed for a connection that outlasts time, I hope you see a little of yourself in Zack, in Flint, in Gary and Jon Paul, and in the chosen family that surrounds them.

The journey isn’t over. There are more stories ahead, more questions to explore, more lifetimes waiting in the wings. I’m excited to keep sharing them with you. Until then, thank you for walking with me—and with these characters—through love that transcends time.

Mj