Hello all! Thank you so much for joining me here today at Love Bytes for the third stop of the Catch a Tiger by the tail Blog Tour, celebrating the release of Book 6 in the THIRDS series, which is out February 5th.

In Catch a Tiger by the Tail we get to meet Calvin and Ethan’s families, which up until now we’ve only officially met Seb and Rafe—Ethan’s big brothers. We also get to know more about Ethan’s Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety disorder. I’ve had several readers contact me thanking me for having a character like Ethan. I’m humbled by this, and hope that I’ve done Ethan, and those who share Ethan’s condition, justice. I believe there are many folks who can identify with Ethan, and what he goes through on a daily basis.

I had to do a good deal of research for Ethan character. His Selective Mutism and social anxiety are a part of him, and not something he can turn on or off. It helped shape him into the man he is today, and in some instances, dictates what he can and can’t do. There’s no magic cure for Ethan, and the story and situations around him have to bend to his character, and not the other way around. So who is Ethan Hobbs, and what role does Selective Mutism play in his life?

Ethan has the ability to both speak and understand when he’s being spoken to, but he’s unable to respond. As a child, he was like any other child in all other areas of his life. He was a good student, smart, with high grades. Ethan loved school, when he wasn’t being bullied. He loved learning, and exploring. He especially loved science and chemistry. Statistically, 90% of individuals with Selective Mutism have social phobia, and Ethan is no different.

Like many children, when Ethan was small, he was left undiagnosed. His parents believed he was simply shy, and although he was indeed very shy as a child, it was more than shyness. Once he was diagnosed, he received cognitive behavioral therapy which helped, but unfortunately Ethan didn’t take as well to the therapy as his family had hoped, so he carried his Selective Mutism into adulthood, along with his social anxiety disorder, the latter of which he takes medication for.

For Ethan, his fear confines him to silence. He can’t choose who he speaks to, and he’s one of those rare cases where he’s unable to speak to his parents. His parents have never heard him talk, something which makes Ethan feel terribly guilty about, despite their love and understanding. Over the years Ethan’s parents, like many others, have learned to understand him without him having to speak. Seb, Ethan’s big brother, is the only Hobbs family member Ethan has spoken to.

For some, abuse is a factor. For the majority it’s not. Bullying, however, is a contributing influence. For Ethan it was trauma. His father, Thomas, suffers from a horrible Therian disease which left him paralyzed from the waist down. As this disease was extremely new at the time (Ethan was just a toddler then), and linked to the Therian mutation, scientists had no idea what was happening to Thomas. Ethan’s doctors believed it was seeing Thomas in so much pain, seeing the effects of the disease on his strong tiger Therian father, and hearing his constant screams of agony that traumatized Ethan, and brought about his Selective Mutism.

One of the challenges Ethan faces is how people perceive him. Because they can’t see his disability, they’re quick to judge him. They see a near three hundred pound, almost seven feet tall muscular Defense agent and can’t fathom how someone his size and strength could possibly be left debilitated by anxiety. Since Ethan can’t speak to people, they have a habit of ignoring him, and just talking to those around him, believing he doesn’t want to be included which is untrue. Ethan hates being ignored, and he wants to be treated like everyone else. Sometimes people take his unresponsiveness for rudeness, or they believe he’s being stuck up, when in truth he’s unable to respond no matter how much he wishes he could. It’s as if his throat stops working. His body will physically react in such a way as to keep him from speaking.

Throughout the story, we see how Ethan perceives himself, his friends, and family. For instance, how he wishes he could be as confident as Dex, or as strong as his brother Seb, as fearless as Calvin. Ethan often focuses on his mistakes, exaggerating them out of proportion. He recognizes that his fear may be excessive or unreasonable, but he can’t help it. Sometimes his anxiety, or even anticipation of being anxious causes problems for him at home, at work, and in his relationships.

Yet despite his Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety Disorder, Ethan graduated from high school with honors. He went to college, graduated top of his class, and became a THIRDS agent. Ethan was not only recruited by the THIRDS, but not long after being hired was promoted to a Public Safety Bomb Technician. He’s also Destructive Delta’s demolitions expert.

Thanks to his brother Seb, and with the love and support of his family and best friend, Ethan learned a long time ago that his disabilities didn’t define him. Calvin played a huge role in helping him understand that. His best friend became his voice, and his protector. Their bond forged from a deep love that can never be broken. Together they strive to help those like Ethan, to protect those who can’t protect themselves. Ethan wanted to become a THIRDS agent to not only protect and seek justice, but show the world that he’s more than his disability.

If you’d like to learn more about Selective Mutism, try:

http://www.selectivemutism.org/

http://www.selectivemutismfoundation.org/

http://www.selectivemutismcenter.org/

Genre: Gay Paranormal Romance, Shifters
Length: Novel, 216 Pages
Published: Feb 5th, 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Ebook ISBN-13: 9781634769099
Paperback ISBN-13: 9781634769082

Calvin Summers and Ethan Hobbs have been best friends since childhood, but somewhere along the line, their friendship evolved into something more. With the Therian Youth Center bombing, Calvin realizes just how short life can be and no longer keeps his feelings for his best friend a secret. Unfortunately, change is difficult for Ethan; most days he does well to deal with his Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety. Calvin’s confession adds a new struggle for Ethan, one he fears might cost him the friendship that’s been his whole world for as long as he can remember.

As partners and Defense Agents at the THIRDS, being on Destructive Delta is tough at the best of times, but between call-outs and life-threatening situations, Calvin and Ethan not only face traversing the challenges of their job, but also working toward a future as more than friends.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

Dreamspinner Press eBook | Dreamspinner Press Paperback
Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Barnes & Noble

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website | THIRDS HQ | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram | Newsletter | DSP |Amazon |Goodreads

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