Update: BBS Book Eight (WIP) - Regarding Diversity

[E.V. GreigAdmin]

I've reached a tricky spot in BBS where race is concerned.

Recurring antagonist Greg Hull and everyone's favourite MMC Captain Susan Kennedy had a conversation in Book Seven wherein she highlighted his ability to "pass as white". It's true: Hull is mixed Japanese/white American, and yes, he can and does (deliberately) hide the Japanese side of his heritage. He reflected on doing so during Book Six. It's actually an important part of his backstory, and the full details will eventually be revealed. None of which makes it any the less potentially offensive in the meantime. Apologies to everyone for that; again, I promise that it's relevant.

So Book Eight sees the next part of this storyline begin. Hull is still opting to "pass", but he's starting to find it harder. He's a parent himself now, and naturally this puts him under new forms of pressure. It also leads to him questioning his own parents' choices, and wondering whether they really did what was best for him. It's exciting for me as a writer, because I get to explore this whole deeper aspect of the character - really pick apart the stuff that made Hull the man he is. Hopefully, it's also exciting for my readers. Hull is a character who keeps on growing. He's tricky to figure out, and to be honest, even I don't know how his storyline will ultimately pan out.

What I do know is that this topic is sensitive, and that I'm approaching it from a position of relative privilege - I'm white, but female and Northern Irish. I can't fully understand what it is to be someone of another race (or sex, or gender), but it's also not an option to exclude such characters from my narratives. Hopefully, I'm doing an acceptable job with my portrayals.