Holding it up...

“Without a Master, there is no love for me.”

Those words belong to one Cassidy “Cas” Dawn Hope, one of the many supporting characters in Juliet. This week I wanted to give you a more personal glimpse into them and why I feel they are so integral to the story.

I know it may seem odd to talk about the main characters, Iris and Sal  first as I have in the previous two weeks. Why not wait and build up suspense to them? Because the simple truth for me is the heart of Juliet is just as much about the supporting roles as the mains.

When I began drafting Juliet, I knew that there would be supporting characters as well as those even lesser known extras sprinkled in, what surprised me so was not only the quantity of them that showed up to the party but also the stories they had to tell. Before I knew it, they were all vying for a coveted spot on the page.

Because of that driving need I have to watch those supporting characters stories come alive, I decided about half way through Juliet that it would be a collection, a series of books all with the same characters. The books would all relate back to Iris and Sal but with the additional tales of the supporting cast thrown in. Of course, in some ways this graduates them to also holding somewhat of a main character role.

It is my hope that I have chosen to focus on those supporting characters which you Dear Reader, also have found most intriguing. However, I am always open to hearing your pleas for whose story you want to hear.  

In addition to Iris and Sal in Juliet, I also focus quite a bit on Anna, Mierne, Serene, and Jack. I adore the scenes with Anna and Sal, they have truly warmed my heart. In part, because it goes against the norm and it is a point of controversy. But I think the relationship is worth examining, and I am brazen enough to do it. People are people, love is love. And never has that been truer than in the story of Sal and Anna. I love going against the grain, questioning what is possible, and you can come to expect that from me. There is no relationship dynamic I won’t examine. In that department, I am fearless because I do this for you. If I can make someone think or feel something in my art of writing, then my dream is complete. To examine diverse relationships, to understand that not everything is black, white, or even gray. Thinking outside of the box of what is comfortable. And it just so happens that my platform in doing this is in writing erotic fiction with themes of BDSM.

That said though, I hate being pidgeon-holed into a “genre”. Yes, it’s erotica. Yes, it’s BDSM. But there is also some mystery, suspense, thrill, and romance. So while I do have to tag it a certain way, I do not like it because it’s more than smut. And while I am on my soapbox, I’ll also say I do not have a set word count. I can promise you, I will give you your money’s worth to entertain you for X-amount of hours. My books – even the short story “Scenes” are over 30k. And I could almost guarantee every book will come in over 100k words. Long-winded? Maybe. But the one thing I hate as a reader, is not feeling like I had enough time with the characters. I personally enjoy settling into a long book, getting to know those I’m reading about. If you don’t like it long, don’t buy my book. But please, don’t ask me to shorten them because I can’t.

Being self-published has also given me the freedom to publish when I want without deadlines looming. I am not going to paint a picture for you in X-amount of time just to get it out to you to make a buck. It’s done when it’s done in my mind. And I will hit the publish button when I feel I am done crafting a tale that I think you will enjoy. I am working on the second book (it’s about a third complete) - which in my mind will always be the first book as Juliet is the precursor to the series, essentially making it book zero – being done by the fall 2015. But real life happens, shit falls apart, and delays do occur. But sometimes, things go right. And it may came in a flood and be out early. And for that reason alone, I cannot give you a set release date. The story comes in a series of flashes, and many times I do not even know what’s going to happen. So I apologize for my lack of release dates, but I assure you, unless I go on a far-off journey aka, “death”, there will be more books with these characters because I simply love them.

Some of my favorite parts of Juliet are all of the “girl crew” scenes with Iris, Cas, Nina, Zoe, and Jessica. There is such strife between women, even in the closest of friendships and I wanted to take a look at that. I think the women’s bathroom is quite literally one of the most dangerous places in the world. We are not bro’s or homies or even sisters, most times we are arch rivals and bitter enemies, and I think the lack of support amongst women is a serious problem. We do not generally bond together the same way in which males do and to put that undercurrent of tension between them was an important facet of Iris’ story. She had never experienced having “girlfriends” before as Peyton was her only friend. And yes, Peyton is gay. And before you ask,  I am working on the Peyton and Kyle short story. Mostly because I want to challenge myself to write their story  and pray I do it justice.

Sal is an ass at times, I know. He’s supposed to be. It’s part of his growth arch which is fundamental to making him who he is. And as we delve further into his personal story, I think much of his behavior will be explained. Iris on the other hand is chaotic. Sometimes she has a fragility about her and then when you least expect it she has the biggest balls in the room. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have loved writing them.

So when will it be out? I am putting finishing touches on The Initiation, Scenes from Juliet now and they could release any day now. And then you can find both Juliet and The Initiation at various online markets.

I realize this post was a bit scatterbrained, but I wanted to provide you with some insight into the supporting roles as well as some of my thoughts on writing. Thank you for taking the time to read me.

With love & light.

Enjoy the ride,

k