Bud

by Russell J. Sanders

Suddenly homeless, young dancer Shelly Sheridan, heartbroken at Christmas, is taken in by an uncle Shelly has never met and didn’t know existed. The burly ex-Marine uncle and his husband welcome Shelly with a shower of love and acceptance. Their friend Estrella, a retired ballet star, is enraptured by Shelly’s dancing.

Shelly makes a new friend the first day of school in this strange place but isn’t happy, feeling out of place and very different from the other boys. The new friend eventually suggests something Shelly didn’t even know was possible. Could Shelly be transgender?

When Shelly embraces this new idea, problems immediately arise. His former nanny doesn’t approve, and the trustee of his mother’s estate fights Shelly’s newly formed decisions.

With his new family’s unconditional love, Shelly hopes all will be well. It’s Christmas once again, and it will be a merry one if Shelly’s problems go away, and Christmas works its magic.

324 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2025

About the author

A teacher, a singer, an actor, a director, a chef, a traveler, a writer...these are all descriptions of native Texas author Russell J. Sanders, now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. A life spent in Texas led to a relocation adventure, because that's what life is about--embarking on adventures. So he and his husband set out for parts unknown and are loving it! Russell writes young adult novels, and his works are infused with his travel experiences. Thus far, his novels have taken readers to Ft. Worth, Houston, Chicago, Hollywood, and Nova Scotia. Since he has traveled to England, France, Italy, Japan, India, Bali, Jakarta, Toronto, Vancouver, Alaska, and Hawaii, who knows where he may lead his readers next? But one thing is certain, there will likely be a mention of Tex-Mex food in his books, for no matter where he travels, Russell seeks out Mexican food, not searching for the perfect enchilada, but just to experience what the food is like in far away places. It actually was pretty good, he says, in Jakarta, and not so good in Wyoming. Mostly, Russell's goal is to tell the world, through his writing, that we are all put on this earth to love one another, no matter our race, religion, or sexual preference.

Reviews

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Russell J. Sanders and it’s different from any other book I’ve read. It’s not exactly a romance, although near the end romance does come into play. This is a story about a young teen discovering his/her true self. I think the author treated this subject matter with respect and compassion. I felt great empathy for Shelly/Shelley and everything his/she had to go through on her journey to become the person she always wanted to be. I’m glad I was given the chance to review this story.

A review copy of this book was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the blurb, so I signed up to read and review this novel for a book blog tour. As stated in the blurb, Shelly is suddenly without a mother, so Uncle Sarg comes to the rescue, taking Shelly from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas.

I must say, the author is either a Las Vegas native or visits the city very often, because the setting was described brilliantly. I really felt as if I was there.

Read more here: https://wp.me/p12iNR-dpP

[Kelly Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curious about gender, identity, transitioning especially?? Bud is a primer that will demystify so much about gender identity and transitioning from what transitioning is through initiating the process. What’s more it’s a heartful story about a newly formed family, ballet and a grieving child coming of age on her own terms.