Title of Post: How Long is Too Long for a Series?
Wow. I can’t believe that Kink Aware is the
ninth book in the Kiss of Leather series! For me, it’s the longest series I’ve
ever written. Most of mine have wrapped up at between five to eight books, as
has been the case with many series I’ve read. Trilogies are also enormously
popular, but typically involve the same couple. But on occasion, I’ve seen much
longer series spanning many years, with some even reaching way beyond twenty
books (Nancy Drew, anyone?). I don’t know if I could do that as an author or a reader. But does that make it a bad
thing?
It’s funny, I used to only read standalones. I’m
not sure when series became more of the industry standard, but it seems that
writing a series has been mandatory for quite a while. Long series aren’t
confined to romance, of course, so no matter what genre I seek out, multi-book
series are what I’m going to find. I’ve discovered that everyone has their own
series reading style. Some wait until the series is over before they begin.
Others watch for and grab each installment as it hits the virtual shelves. Then
there are those who are more apt to read a series they enjoy as soon as they
get around to it. Perhaps they’re juggling several at once, so go for the one
that they’re more in the mood for at the time. That tends to be me!
When I began Kiss of Leather three and a half
years ago, I didn’t plan for it to be this long. It originally was supposed to
be in the neighborhood of five or six books, my usual series’ length. I wanted
to make sure I told the stories of the three club owners and the two investigators
who are a part of the mystery sub-plot that spanned books two through seven.
But as I became more immersed in the world and readers wanted other characters’
stories, I found the plot bunnies attacking me from right to left! I mean, how
could I leave Tobey or Liam—subs who were hurting and had small roles in
earlier books—without their ever-afters? Then Elliot, the insecure bartender
who showed up briefly for the grand opening of the club couldn’t be left by the
wayside either. Which then brings me to Kink Aware, the current book.
I first wrote Cruella, the soft-spoken,
genderqueer ex-model as one of the patrons of the tattoo shop Liam and his
Master Neal jointly own with Ray. Not only did readers take notice of the small
role Cruella played in books six and seven, they wanted to know their story. As
it turns out, so did I. It would’ve been a natural ending after book seven
(when the sub-plot mystery was resolved), but I couldn’t do it. There was
Elliot, Cruella and when it came down to it, Heath the thrift-shop owner who
comforted Neal, and Aron, Tobey’s friend who is still in Idaho hiding his
orientation from his Mormon parents. What does that mean for the series? It
means twelve installments total are planned for 2019, which will then lead to a
spin-off series! Remember Van, Sa’id, Garson and Jarvis from Jordan’s Club
Consequence? Yeah. I’m going there.
What about you? Do you wait for a series to
conclude before you bother starting it, or do you have to read that new
installment the second it hits your ereader? If you haven’t started the Kiss of
Leather series yet, though, have no fear! Cruella and Ray’s story can be read
as a standalone. However, if you’d like more context as to how the club began,
then you’re in luck. Right now, Building Bonds (Kiss of Leather 1) is available
for free!
Cruella
can’t wait to show Ray the ropes…
Working at Rogue Ink is a dream job for Cruella, especially being around the hunky co-owner, Ray. Even though the money isn’t great, the eye candy and Ray’s caring heart make it all worthwhile. When Cruella risks rejection by inviting Ray to be their partner for a shibari class at Kiss of Leather, they’re thrilled when Ray accepts.
Cruella’s invitation both excites and terrifies Ray. He wants Cruella, but does he also want to become more kink aware? Still, he could kick himself for not making a move yet on the sweet and beautiful Cruella, so maybe this is his chance. His protective instincts have gotten him into serious trouble before, so he’ll be sure not to make the same mistake with Cruella. They’ve made it clear they can take care of themself.
Cruella fears that Ray won’t accept their genderqueer identity and Ray aches to be the strong man Cruella needs. However, when Cruella’s dark past intrudes on their blissful present—Ray’s definition of strength might turn out to be harsher than Cruella is willing to accept.
Working at Rogue Ink is a dream job for Cruella, especially being around the hunky co-owner, Ray. Even though the money isn’t great, the eye candy and Ray’s caring heart make it all worthwhile. When Cruella risks rejection by inviting Ray to be their partner for a shibari class at Kiss of Leather, they’re thrilled when Ray accepts.
Cruella’s invitation both excites and terrifies Ray. He wants Cruella, but does he also want to become more kink aware? Still, he could kick himself for not making a move yet on the sweet and beautiful Cruella, so maybe this is his chance. His protective instincts have gotten him into serious trouble before, so he’ll be sure not to make the same mistake with Cruella. They’ve made it clear they can take care of themself.
Cruella fears that Ray won’t accept their genderqueer identity and Ray aches to be the strong man Cruella needs. However, when Cruella’s dark past intrudes on their blissful present—Ray’s definition of strength might turn out to be harsher than Cruella is willing to accept.
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Pride
Publishing: https://bit.ly/2zBi24q
Genre: Gay BDSM Romance
Publisher: Pride Publishing
R Excerpt:
Cruella
took the contracts from him. “Let’s sit on the couch and go over these
together.”
“Sure.”
Ray nodded then drew his eyebrows together as something struck him. “Aren’t I
supposed to answer you with an honorific? Like…” His frown deepened. “What
would work?”
Cruella
patted the cushion next to them. “We can start off by discussing that. I’ve
already been thinking about what I’d be happy with.”
Ray
hurried to join them. “Okay. What about me? Are you going to call me, you
know…”
His
face heated in record time. He didn’t fully understand the particulars of
everything they were doing, couldn’t grasp why certain things got him so hard
and were so natural in the moment, yet he felt weird discussing them out loud.
He sat
with his thigh pressed against Cruella’s. When he’d initially taken a seat, he
hadn’t meant to sit so close, but it turned out he needed it, needed the
reassurance. Cruella took his hand and laced their fingers together.
“Boy?
Is that what you were going to say?”
Ray
couldn’t meet their gaze. “Yeah.” He had to chuckle at himself. After taking in
a deep breath, he met their eyes. “It turns me on. But it also puts me in that
headspace with you where you’re the one in control.”
“Good.
It works the same for me. And I’ve considered the various honorifics, and for
the most part, they’re not appropriate. Too gender specific. I don’t mind being
referred to as your Dominant or Top, since those are neutral. But when you answer to me directly, use my
name. ‘Yes, Cruella’ is all you need to say. No pet names while we’re playing,
that would be the one restriction.”
Ray
glanced at his copy of the contract then back at Cruella. “Is that the kind of
thing we’d write down?”
Cruella
handed him a pen. “The perfect thing. This way, we’re clear on what to expect.”
What about the good stuff?
“All
right.”
Ray
made a note at the top where they were supposed to place their names and titles
for when they were in a scene. He tapped the pen against the paper when he was
finished, biting his lip to keep himself from pestering Cruella with what sort of
kinks they should explore and what punishments he’d get for misbehaving. Like the dirty boy I am. Ray dropped his
head in his hands. Jesus. What’s happened
to me?
Cruella
nudged him with their elbow. “Focus, baby. I’m guessing it’s a good thing I
brought the cock cage over tonight.”
Ray
straightened, his eyes going wide. “Oh, damn. You want me to focus? After you
tell me that?”
Cruella
shook a finger at him. “You’re going to sit here and behave, or you won’t get the spanking you’ve been
hinting at all week.”
Busted. “Okay. I’ll be good.”
They cupped
his package and squeezed hard. “I know you will, because you’re Cruella’s best
boy, aren’t you?”
Ray
gasped, his teeth gritting. He nodded jerkily as he struggled to keep his
composure.
“That’s
not how you respond to your Dominant, now is it, boy?”
“No,
Cruella. It isn’t. I apologize.”
They
loosened their grip then slowly removed their hand from his aching balls.
Cruella grinned. “That’s much better.”
Ray
licked his lips. He had the feeling he was in for one hell of a night.
Author Bio & Links:
Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights
writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some
friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever
their filthy little hearts desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty
tales for more years than she’d like to share—her adventures as a published
author began in 2011. Since then, she’s been fortunate enough to have several
books on bestseller lists along with titles receiving recognition in the Rainbow
Book Awards, Divine Magazine and Love Romance Café.
Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured
the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently
resides on the North Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men,
she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.
Morticia’s
Social links:
Website/blog: http://www.morticiaknight.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2q2I2Do
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorticiaKnight
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authormorticiaknight/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/morticiaknight/
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