Coming October 1, 2015
It's different... outside the box and certainly not your formula romance novel.
"It will never work."
"Reader's don't want to invest in two love interests."
"You broke the mold. You can't have the heroine with another man for 50% of the book."
Oh, yeah? Watch me.
What am I talking about? Passion's Pain. I wrote this novel almost 5 years ago and the above were some of the initial feedback I received. It was a touchy concept, maybe even a little taboo back then. It was contracted twice. The first attempt the editor was not on board at all and when your editor isn't on board, well, things can get messy. She wanted me to cut a 75k book down to a 35k book and in the process would have me delete most of my heroine's journey. I was a rookie back then and I tried to accommodate the editor and the publisher, but every time I deleted a scene I felt like I was deleting a piece of me. At the end of the day I got my rights back. No harm, no foul.
I queried the book to a few other places and the feedback was that the book wouldn't work for today's romance reader. The heroine should only be with one man. Okay, so I get no cheating. I personally don't want to read a book where the main characters cheat on one another. But, Passion's Pain has no cheating. It's a journey of a down-on-her-luck woman who needs some help in life. She's young, vulnerable and alone. She falls for a rich, sexy, older man. Like in real life sometimes we don't find the right one on the first try. She's too naive to see he is controlling and manipulative, but while she's with him she grows as person and becomea strong and independent. Isn't that what a romance reader wants to see? Character growth and development?
I think so too. We also like a good conflict and Passion's Pain has that too. Here's where a few editors got icked out. And again, swore this book would never sell. Why? Because the other man is the older man's son. Creepy, right? To me no. Our heroine has always had a crush on the son (they went to high school together) and it turns out the feeling is mutual. By the time we get to the second half of the book, enough time has passed and our heroine has become a different woman. One who makes better choices this time. She herself is apprehensive about mingling with her former lover's son, but he is so determined to win the woman who has stolen his heart.
Taboo? Maybe a few years ago it would have been, but now, thanks to self-publishing, almost anything goes. I think there are enough tastes out there that almost any book has a market. I grew up on shows like Dynasty, Dallas and Falcon Crest. Lifetime movies were my addiction long before I became published. It wasn't an odd troupe to watch (or even read) about a father and a son falling for the same woman. Can you remember mini-series like North and South, Lace and the Thorn Birds? Two of those started as books. What didn't occur between those families? Watching sagas like that helped to shape my imagination.
I've digressed a little from my initial reason for posting this blog. What I wanted to say was the publisher who finally took a chance on the book four years ago unfortunately closed it's doors at the beginning of September. The rights have been reverted to me and I've given the book a makeover. I've added back a few scenes that were taken out during the editing process, I've freshened up some dialogue and it has a new cover. The novel is basically the same, but because I've come a long way in four years as a writer, I was able to apply some of the things I've learned along the way.
I plan to release the newer version by October 1 (maybe a few days earlier). It had some wonderful reviews so I'm hoping they'll pop up when I put the book back up. I'm also hoping to bring the novel into the spotlight again and find some new readers.
***
One woman…two men. Who will she choose? The father or the son?
Lilli Daniels has been down on her luck for quite some time. She's been homeless, hungry and alone for far too long. When an intriguing, older stranger enters the strip club where she's waitressing her life takes on a new direction.
Successful attorney Jackson Avis maintains complete control of every aspect in his life. When he sets his sight on the beautiful, young Lilli he's captivated and has to have her. He tempts her with a life of privilege and security. He introduces her to a world she never knew existed. Complications arise when Jackson's son Cameron expresses an interest in his father's girlfriend.
Lilli fights the attraction, but Cameron wants to give into his heart's desire. He's the complete opposite of his controlling, manipulative father and will stop at nothing to protect the woman he's falling in love with. Even if it means suffering the wrath of his father.
Sometimes life leads you down one path only to bring you to your true destiny. Can Lilli come to terms and figure out exactly who her heart belongs to?
***
I'm excited to get this back out there. I hope you'll give it a chance. It's a book that I couldn't give up on.
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