At the same time, Holly Rabb and Jason Wills of the local police join the investigation. They are partners, dealing with their own feelings and dangerous flirtations. All are thrown together in a swirling mix of mystery, murder, and heated attraction as Seneca and Book become mentors to Holly and Jason in feminine-led love.
As the pressures of romance and investigations come to a head, secrets are revealed that put lives and careers at risk. The mystery deepens as Seneca makes plans for a return to public life, bringing the connections--and passion--to a head. Danger collides with sex, whips with skin, and dominance with love. Not just Seneca, but all four lovers must evolve and learn as a new killer rises to threaten them all, once again in a very public confrontation.
**Can be read as a standalone!**
I’m a guy who writes erotic, romantic/suspense novels. That’s an odd thing all by itself. Writing is one of the few artistic or business areas truly dominated by women. Sure, you have genres that are bastions of maleness but even those are changing. Aside from writing the books, most agents and editors are women. I’m not complaining or taking a position on it. I think so much of the reason it is this way is that you can’t hide behind gender or bluster or tradition when you literally have your words doing the talking for you.
The thing that makes everything all the weirder for me is that my main characters are women and judged by women gatekeepers and readers. I hope I do a good job. The response had been overwhelmingly positive. But…
I’ve begun to notice something consistent in my criticisms. The main female characters in my books, the ones who are carrying the load of the story—the heroes—have been described to me as, not feminine. The really strange thing about it is that those same characters are also getting a lot of attention, from readers, as true people.
This was something I did a lot of worrying and soul searching about. Then I believe that I came to an answer. The criticism is not about the women, it is about the role. All of my female main characters defy gender expectations. In traditional mysteries, my Katrina (Hurricane) Williams series, I write about a female cop who has issues with PTSD, drinking, and violence. That’s to say I took a traditional male literary trope and put in a woman. In my erotic suspense novels my main characters tend to be strong women discovering their personal dominance. It turns out that I don’t write damsels in distress.
Defying expectations is what the criticisms are really about. I’m not saying my writing or my characters deserve no criticism. No writer can support that. But it is important, for the writer, to recognize the difference between criticizing the art and criticizing the expectation.
Like I said, I’m a white man writing books in a culture dominated by women and one very open to diversity. Maybe I’m getting a little taste of what my audience has experienced for generations. Not only is this my chance to learn from it, but maybe a chance to help expand the perceptions of what’s possible a little bit. I hope so. I’m a big fan of defying expectations. It seems my fans are as well.
Give my latest, THE RED KISS a chance and let me know how I’m doing. This time I created two strong women who are going through life changing challenges and heart changing relationships. The fun thing is, maybe they do the rescuing.
The thing that makes everything all the weirder for me is that my main characters are women and judged by women gatekeepers and readers. I hope I do a good job. The response had been overwhelmingly positive. But…
I’ve begun to notice something consistent in my criticisms. The main female characters in my books, the ones who are carrying the load of the story—the heroes—have been described to me as, not feminine. The really strange thing about it is that those same characters are also getting a lot of attention, from readers, as true people.
This was something I did a lot of worrying and soul searching about. Then I believe that I came to an answer. The criticism is not about the women, it is about the role. All of my female main characters defy gender expectations. In traditional mysteries, my Katrina (Hurricane) Williams series, I write about a female cop who has issues with PTSD, drinking, and violence. That’s to say I took a traditional male literary trope and put in a woman. In my erotic suspense novels my main characters tend to be strong women discovering their personal dominance. It turns out that I don’t write damsels in distress.
Defying expectations is what the criticisms are really about. I’m not saying my writing or my characters deserve no criticism. No writer can support that. But it is important, for the writer, to recognize the difference between criticizing the art and criticizing the expectation.
Like I said, I’m a white man writing books in a culture dominated by women and one very open to diversity. Maybe I’m getting a little taste of what my audience has experienced for generations. Not only is this my chance to learn from it, but maybe a chance to help expand the perceptions of what’s possible a little bit. I hope so. I’m a big fan of defying expectations. It seems my fans are as well.
Give my latest, THE RED KISS a chance and let me know how I’m doing. This time I created two strong women who are going through life changing challenges and heart changing relationships. The fun thing is, maybe they do the rescuing.
Jason was lying on the bed. She thought of him as floating loose, being carried without care or control. She, however…she was gripping the door frame like it was the last branch before the waterfall.
“Please, Holly,” he said again.
She couldn’t. Shouldn’t. “You’re injured.” But the current carried her back to the bed, back to stand between his bare feet.
“I’m not that injured.”
“We don’t know that, do we? You should be getting checked out in the hospital, not…”
“Not what?”
“I don’t know. Not acting out a scene from an old war movie. The injured soldier and the nurse.”
“With a seduction scene?” he asked, his voice sounding clear and hopeful.
“There is always a seduction scene.”
“Who is seducing? Who is being seduced?”
“Nobody.” She spoke firmly, forcing herself to sound sure. “Because this isn’t a movie.”
“What is it?”
“If I had the answer to that…”
“Yes?”
“If.” Holly shook her head and looked at the floor. It was easy to imagine waves lapping up over her ankles. “But I don’t.” She looked at him.
He reached his hand toward her.
“Why do you think I didn’t want to go to the hospital?”
“You’re an idiot?”
“Maybe. But I wanted to come home.” He stared as if there was a secret in the admission.
“I get that.”
“No, you don’t,” he corrected her quickly. “I wanted you to bring me home. Do you get that? I wanted you here.” Jason patted the bed with both hands. “Here.”
“Please, Holly,” he said again.
She couldn’t. Shouldn’t. “You’re injured.” But the current carried her back to the bed, back to stand between his bare feet.
“I’m not that injured.”
“We don’t know that, do we? You should be getting checked out in the hospital, not…”
“Not what?”
“I don’t know. Not acting out a scene from an old war movie. The injured soldier and the nurse.”
“With a seduction scene?” he asked, his voice sounding clear and hopeful.
“There is always a seduction scene.”
“Who is seducing? Who is being seduced?”
“Nobody.” She spoke firmly, forcing herself to sound sure. “Because this isn’t a movie.”
“What is it?”
“If I had the answer to that…”
“Yes?”
“If.” Holly shook her head and looked at the floor. It was easy to imagine waves lapping up over her ankles. “But I don’t.” She looked at him.
He reached his hand toward her.
“Why do you think I didn’t want to go to the hospital?”
“You’re an idiot?”
“Maybe. But I wanted to come home.” He stared as if there was a secret in the admission.
“I get that.”
“No, you don’t,” he corrected her quickly. “I wanted you to bring me home. Do you get that? I wanted you here.” Jason patted the bed with both hands. “Here.”
As he escorts her into the world of kink parties, leather corsets and safe words she flourishes, becoming the kind of woman she never dreamed. Even as they become closer, both as lovers and as Dominant and submissive, new murders and his own lie make Anderson a suspect and then the target of a cop looking to clear his own name.
Events and passions collide with bite marks, pretty underwear and murder in a world where cops may be killers and lovers may hold whips. Eleanor Silver has to let go of her pain to claim for herself the life she wants and risk everything to save the man she loves.
**Can be read as a standalone!**
❤️ Click on the images to learn more ❤️
Born an Army brat he finally settled and came to call the Missouri Ozarks home. While raising wonderful kids and failing at everything else he wrote screenplays, television scripts, advertising copy and filthy limericks. After many twists, and multiple once-in-a-lifetime life changing events, he returned to work on the short stories and novels he loved best.
Win a $25 Amazon gift card!
Thank you for giving my books such a wonderful boost. It is great to be a part of Romance Novel Giveaways and I hope all the fans like what they see as much as I do.
ReplyDeleteCertainly seems as if everyone will be whipped into a frenzy.
ReplyDeleteI think these books sound like such fun, exciting, and intriguing reads! Looking forward to checking them out!
ReplyDeleteI think that these books sounds very interesting !
ReplyDelete