A RISKY PROSPECT Cover Reveal

When I sat down to write A Disturbing Prospect and then A Risky Prospect, I had no idea how much Olivia and Cliff’s story would resonate with readers. See, I wrote these books for me; there were some demons I wanted to slay, and writing has always been my therapy, my catharsis. I’ve long wanted to write a biker romance, and many of my favorite stories involve vigilantes: The Crow, Watchmen, Kick-Ass, The Punisher… Those dark stories about everyday people using what they’ve got to get justice have always spoken to me.

In A Disturbing Prospect, I wrote for justice for someone else, for the Lucys in my life. In A Risky Prospect, I wrote for justice for myself.

I am a sexual assault survivor. Two different “boyfriends”—I hate to call them that, because they didn’t treat me like boyfriends should—hurt me, and it almost killed me. I spent the last few years unpacking all of the damage, struggling through PTSD and flashbacks, clawing my way through to the other side. Part of that involved writing my story. I took those two boyfriends, merged them into one character, and let the words flow.

I knew when writing A Disturbing Prospect (Book 1) that Olivia had some trauma to unpack in A Risky Prospect (Book 2). I wanted her arc to shine, so I brought in designer Natasha Snow, and suggested we feature Olivia on the cover.

I never imagined just how badass this cover turned out.

Brash social worker Olivia has been through her own personal hell and come out the other side, tattered but determined to make things better in her corrupt town—no matter the cost. Her roommate’s current situation is the perfect place to start.

When ex-con Cliff’s wild ol’ lady Olivia comes to him and the River Reapers for help, he’s on board. His vigilante motorcycle club can get the job done, and it’ll help convince Olivia to take the next step in their relationship.

But when Olivia’s traumatic past walks through the club’s doors, there’s no stopping her from doing whatever it takes to settle her own score. Even if it means crossing a line that Cliff might not be able to pull her back from.

Read Chapter 1 | Pre-Order

I’m so excited to share this book with you. I can’t wait ’til it’s in your hands! A Risky Prospect releases March 18th. Pre-order your copy now!

A DISTURBING PROSPECT Character Guide

As the River Reapers series grows, I’ve realized I need a sort of Wiki to keep track of all these people. And if I need help, I can just imagine how you feel! In the vein of George R.R. Martin, I’ve put together an appendix of the characters and their relationships as of the first book in the series, A Disturbing Prospect.

Looking for the A Risky Prospect character guide? Click here!

Beer Can: The Sergeant-at-Arms for the River Reapers MC. He works at The Wet Mermaid (strip club) as a bouncer.
Mark Clayton: The Treasurer for the River Reapers MC. He works at The Wet Mermaid (strip club) as a general manager.
Sebastian “Bastard” Demmel: Cliff’s deceased father, and the previous President of the River Reapers MC. Lucy’s uncle.
Cliff Demmel: The hero of our story. Ex-con and new Prospect of the River Reapers MC. Lucy’s cousin. Olivia’s… something.
Lucy Demmel: Cliff’s cousin and Olivia’s adoptive sister. She teaches first grade.
Dio: Olivia’s orange tabby kitten. Named for the god of heavy metal.
Esther Figueroa: Olivia’s mousy roommate and Donny’s ol’ lady. She’s in the Social Work program with Olivia at Southern Connecticut State University.
Donny Jackson: The Enforcer for the River Reapers MC and Esther’s ol’ man.
Elijah “Eli” Moretti: Olivia’s photography classmate.
Ravage: The current President of the River Reapers MC. Mercy’s best friend.
Bree: Olivia’s mother, whereabouts unknown.
Mercer “Mercy” Reynolds: The previous Vice President of the River Reapers MC, and Bastard’s ex-best friend. Currently serving time in maximum security at Lewisburg. Considers Ravage his best friend.
Olivia Reynolds: The heroine of our story. Lucy’s adopted sister. Cliff’s… something. Bree’s daughter. She’s in the Social Work program with Esther (roommate) at Southern Connecticut State University.
Skid: The current Vice President of the River Reapers MC.
Ruth Wood: Cliff’s deceased mother, and Lucy’s aunt. No affiliation with the MC, other than Bastard’s ol’ lady.

Did I miss a character or a (spoiler-free) connection? Please email me and let me know!

Is there a glossary or guide you’d like to see for the River Reapers series? Leave a comment and let me know!

Photo by Tamas Munkacsi on Unsplash

Anatomy of a Biker’s Cut

In another life, I’d be a biker.

I love the freedom, the camaraderie, and the bikes themselves. If I could physically ride or even start the thing, I’d totally get one. My UCTD kinda makes that impossible, but I can live vicariously.

That’s part of why I write MC romance.

Oh, I’m sure real bikers laugh at shows like Sons of Anarchy and books like mine, but I still try to write about the life as realistically as possible. Between family members who are members of SCs/RCs (social riding clubs) and family friends who are members of MCs (motorcycle clubs), I soak it all in. One thing I really wanted to get straight were all of the patches on the cut.

At first glance, a biker’s cut can look like a random collection of patches. But each patch has a different meaning, and some patches will even vary from club to club. I threw together a watered down diagram of the patches you’ll see on almost every cut.

The top rocker is sort of a banner with the club’s name on it. The bottom rocker usually displays the club’s location. The club colors are really just a logo. When you see a sign that says “no colors allowed,” it means no MC cuts. Social clubs are sometimes accepted, depending on the establishment. The side rockers display the club’s name on the bottom sides of the cut, usually wrapping around to the front. So our River Reapers MC cuts would look something like this:

Note: On the back, there’s also a patch that signifies whether the club is a MC or SC (sometimes referred to as RC, depending on the region). I forgot it when making this graphic. 😅

On the front, there are several other patches. Again, this’ll vary from club to club.

For the River Reapers MC, I kept it simple.

On the right breast, there are club name and office patches. The right is empty, unless the member has earned a special patch—like a Sludge Specter patch. Those gray things are supposed to be pockets, in case ya can’t tell. I’m no illustrator.

In the wild, you might see bikers with a billion patches. These can be special to each club, so it really could vary. Sons of Anarchy kept theirs simple, too.

The cut itself might be leather or denim. My River Reapers wear leather, because there’s nothing like that heavenly creaking sound. At least, that’s how I feel about it. I appreciate that a lot of people want to be cruelty-free, in which case a vegan leather vest or old fashioned denim would be suitable. The River Reapers wear thrifted leather, that way it’s already broken in and they’re recycling. 😉

So there you have it—the anatomy of a cut! I hope you enjoyed this, because I plan on doing more fun posts. Let me know if you liked this and what else you want to see!

Read the River Reapers MC Series

[mbm_book_grid id=”115″]

The “Kidnapped by the Biker” Trope Needs to Die

I loved Sons of Anarchy, so when I discovered there was a whole sub-genre of biker romances, I pounced. Except I was disappointed again and again.

Over and over, I kept coming across the same trope: kidnapped by the biker. Usually the heroine is the daughter of the President of a rival MC, and the hero kidnaps her as retaliation. She’s dragged out in the middle of the night, bound, and kept as a pawn in their game. Over time, she and the hero fall in love.

That’s not love. Not my idea of love, anyway. I can’t imagine ever having positive feelings toward someone who was so cruel to me.

I’m also not a fan of the damsel in distress trope. I prefer my heroines kicking ass and taking names.

So I wrote my own.

If a rival MC ever kidnaps Olivia, god help them. 😂

Which tropes would you like to see less of? Sound off in the comments!

Photo by Meelimello / Pixabay

A Risky Prospect, Chapter 1

It’s the day I’ve been working toward for the past four years. In just a couple hours, I’ll officially be a social worker. I should be enjoying a quickie with my biker boyfriend before I walk across the graduation stage, but my roommate’s knock interrupts us. The look on her face tells me I might not be making it to the ceremony.

“I need your help, Olivia. I need the club’s help,” she adds, and I know I won’t be making it at all.

You’re reading Chapter 1 of A Risky Prospect, Book 2 in the River Reapers MC series.

catch up

author’s note

The following excerpt is NSFW; blush at your own risk! This excerpt may also contain triggers; please see the complete list of triggers for A Risky Prospect.

Olivia

The fabric of my dress tears as Cliff yanks the top down to free my breasts. The ripping sound cuts through the air, loud enough that I swear everyone in the vicinity probably heard it. The vicinity being the River Reapers’ club house.

I always wanted sex so good, clothing had to be ripped. It’s a shame that my graduation dress is collateral damage.

Cliff thrusts into me, oblivious to the heat spreading through my cheeks. He wraps one hand around my breast, his other hand caressing my ribs, crossing my stomach, traveling down, down, down, until the pad of his thumb rests on my favorite nerve. As he gives it one quick stroke—like he’s plucking a note on a guitar, checking to make sure it’s tuned properly—my back arches and I forget that the whole club can hear us, that we just ripped my graduation dress. I fade into him, as in sync with another person as I’ll ever be.

There’s something about him that absorbs me without erasing me. We orbit each other, a symbiotic relationship. Especially when his hands are on me and he’s inside of me.

My hips match his pace, his hand rubbing over my nipple, giving my breast just the right amount of squeeze, drawing me closer and closer to the edge. Without me ever saying so, Cliff instinctively knows the key to me coming with him is his giant hands on my chest. He’s attentive like that.

I’m close, so close I feel like I’m dying. Every woman knows this agony: when you’re right on the edge but not quite there yet. I’m burning alive from the inside out with his match igniting me.

“Close?” he asks, voice rough. It’s always deep and smoky, a rasp that sends shivers through me and makes me wet.

I nod, forgoing words to focus all of my concentration into the final rub he gives me before moving both hands to my breasts. I moan. As long as he keeps doing that, I’ll be more than close. This one’s gonna be one of those firework shows, the kind that leaves me slightly dizzy, staring at the ceiling.

Except the sharp rap of knuckles on Cliff’s door yanks me right out of my happy place and reminds me of why I can’t focus in the first place.

“Olivia!” my roommate, Esther, calls. “We’re gonna be late. Vamonos!”

It’s the day I’ve been working toward for the past four years. In just a couple hours, I’ll officially be a social worker. Esther, too.

“Oh, shit,” Cliff says. He pulls out, but just as his crown brushes my clit, he shudders and lets go. The hot pulse takes me with him, a mini spark instead of the fireworks I’d hoped for, but I’ll take it.

I lay back with a smile.

“Shit,” he growls. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” I laugh. “I’m pretty sure this is my fault.”

“I’m the one who grabbed your ass,” he says as he pads away from the bed and ducks into the bathroom.

I sit up on my elbows. “I’m the one who wasn’t wearing any panties.”

Esther pounds harder. “Let’s go,” she calls, drawing out the two words. To think, a few months ago, my bookish roommate was the one dragging her ass, making me play time games so neither of us were ever late. Now she’s in a rush.

I glance down at my ruined dress and sigh. It’s not too big a deal, considering no one’s going to see it under my gown anyway. But still. I kinda liked it.

“I’ll get you a new one,” Cliff says, handing me a washcloth.

“I should punish you by just wearing my gown and nothing else.” I clean up as quickly as possible, then start hunting through his dresser for something else to wear. I don’t stay overnight with him in the club house often, but this winter I learned to keep extra clothing stashed in as many places as possible.

A girl never knows when she’s going to get dirty.

Or bloody.

I slip out of the remains of my dress and tug on the romper.

Cliff groans.

“What?”

Instead of telling me, he closes the space between us and touches my hard nipples through the fabric. “You’re killing me,” he whispers, and I’m immediately wet again.

“I’m leaving!” Esther threatens.

“I liked her better when she was quiet,” I tell Cliff, grabbing my clutch bag. “Donny is a bad influence.”

He chuckles. “And vice versa. Donny was as cold as ice. I saw him smile the other day, and Esther wasn’t even in the room.”

“Please kill me if I ever change for a guy.”

His eyes drop from mine as he picks up his keys. He shrugs into his cut without a word. I wish I could have a moment to run my fingers over the stitching where the arms would be on a normal leather jacket, feel the silky patches and rocker that make him a member of the River Reapers. That make him a Sludge Specter. I pull the door open and come face to face with Esther.

“Ready?” I ask her.

She gives me a look—a death glare that is all Esther and zero percent Donny—and flounces away in her cornflower blue sundress and white canvas sneakers, the color and the dress complimenting and accentuating her long, dark legs.

I roll my eyes at my pale legs, mottled with scars and bruises. There’s also the scar at my hairline.

Cliff catches my hand, drawing me in for a kiss. His warm lips touch mine for a full second, then he pulls back. “See you there,” he says.

Nodding, I leave Cliff’s room and the other club rooms, heading toward the stairs that’ll take me down into The Wet Mermaid, the MC’s strip club and my place of employment. For now, anyway. After graduation, it’ll be a whirlwind of state job interviews and shopping for business casual.

I make my way through the club, my brothers in leather nodding at me and raising their glasses. Girls spin on the poles, and Vaughn mixes drinks behind the bar. Good thing it’s not anyone else. I don’t know where Mark—my boss and the MC’s treasurer—finds some of these girls. They can’t tell top shelf vodka from bottom.

As I exit the club, the heat hits me like a wall, humidity wrapping around me and wrecking what was left of my hair. Gotta love New England weather—it always jumps straight from winter into summer.

I spot Esther’s car, but she’s not in it. Glancing around, I scan the parking lot. Two minutes ago she couldn’t hold her horses, and now she’s nowhere to be found. Typical fucking Esther. Scowling, I grab a cigarette from my clutch and light up. At this rate, Cliff and Donny will be at the campus before we are.

A sob cuts through the thick air, and I whip around. I know that voice. I’ve heard my roommate cry at Finding Dory. I follow the sound, my fingers closed around the handle of the knife in my clutch. I don’t go anywhere without it.

Rounding the corner of the building, I nearly crash into Esther, who’s sagged against the wall, her ass on the ground, knees drawn to her chest. Her shoulders shake and her limp hand loosely holds her phone. Her face is dry, but her chest rises and falls in rapid breaths. She gasps for air, and I drop to my knees in front of her, taking her hands.

“Esther? What’s wrong?”

Thank you for reading Chapter 1 of A Risky Prospect, Book 2 in the River Reapers MC series.

Support My Writing

If you enjoyed this chapter, please support my writing!

Sponsor

Shop

You can also like, comment on, and share this post. Every little bit helps.

Photo by HayDmitriy / Depositphotos

Playlist for A RISKY PROSPECT

I might’ve gone overboard with this one.

It’s two and a half hours long, with 38 songs. And that’s after I pared it down a bit!

I can’t help it, though. A Risky Prospect happens to be my longest novel ever, so it makes sense that it comes with such a hefty playlist. If I had to pick one song that encapsulates this book, I’d be screwed. Each of these songs is so important to this book (and me). I love this playlist so much, I’ve been listening to it pretty much nonstop since I finished the first draft back in October. Some of these songs are my all-time favorites.

Check it out, then let me know what you think! Which ones are your favorites?

FYI, you can now pre-order A Risky Prospect! Click the button below.

[su_button url=”https://amzn.to/2S3Yn41″ target=”blank” background=”#c9806d” color=”#ede3e3″ icon=”icon: amazon” icon_color=”#ede3e3″ title=”PRE-ORDER FOR KINDLE”]PRE-ORDER FOR KINDLE[/su_button]

Photo by Matteo Kutufa on Unsplash

Playlist for A DISTURBING PROSPECT

Feel the Olivia and Cliff vibes with this playlist of songs that inspired me while writing A Disturbing Prospect.

Read the River Reapers MC Series

[mbm_book_grid id=”115″]

Photo by Hanna Postova on Unsplash

SONS OF ANARCHY Handled Tara’s Stalker All Wrong

As much as I love Sons of Anarchy, one thing has always bugged me: how Tara’s stalker was handled.

Don’t get me wrong. It was super heroic of Jax to kill that motherfucker. And that sex scene after, with the body right in the corner? Smoking hot, even if a little twisted.

But.

But!

Kohn tortured Tara. Terrorized her. Drove her out of her job and home, and then followed her there and continued to toy with her.

As a woman who has had a stalker, I really needed Tara to be the one to kill Kohn.

He was her demon; she should’ve slayed him.

Instead, we got a classic damsel in distress storyline, with Jax saving the day and Tara not at all empowered. You could argue that her character wasn’t the stalker killing type, and maybe you’re right, but it still bugged me.

My stalker wasn’t nearly as deranged as Kohn, but he was scary enough. He seemed benign enough, at first—a photographer in one of my college classes who needed a model. I’d done some modeling for a high school friend, so I jumped at the chance. Then he started talking about shooting me nude, in the woods, so I politely extracted myself.

Or so I thought.

For weeks, he followed me all over campus. It wasn’t a small campus, so at first I tried to convince myself that we just kept running into each other. But I was creeped out, and my gut is never wrong.

He wouldn’t let the shoot go, either.

Thankfully, I had some awesome friends who were more than happy to hover around me like overprotective brothers, and my stalker eventually got the message. I never even had to use my mace. Which was kinda too bad.

Still, when I watched Sons of Anarchy for the first time, I related to Tara quite a bit. Obsessive men are fucking scary. I hoped and hoped Tara would be the one to save herself, and even though I wasn’t surprised when Jax saved her, I was still disappointed.

Years later, when I sat down to write the forbidden biker romance that became A Disturbing Prospect, I knew one thing for sure: my distressed damsel would not be asking her biker boyfriend to handle her problems.

Maybe I’m being stubborn, but I’ve been taking care of myself my whole life. I don’t need Prince Charming to ride in on his motorcycle and shoot down my dragon. I’ve got my own gun. I’ll slay my own monsters.

-Olivia, A Disturbing Prospect (River Reapers MC, Book 1)

Maybe if more of us handled things like Olivia, creepy men would back the fuck off.

No offense, Tara.

Did you know you can pre-order the sequel to A Disturbing Prospect? Click here!

Photo by Stephany Lorena on Unsplash

Trigger Warnings for A RISKY PROSPECT

When I published A Disturbing Prospect, I told you it was the darkest book I’d ever written. Well, I think I’ve outdone myself. *laughs nervously*

I 1,000% stand behind A Risky Prospect. I wrote this book for me. I took two “men” who hurt me, merged them into one character, and then got my revenge. I realize that this book isn’t for everyone. It might not make sense to a lot of people. But to me—and maybe for some of you who have survived hell, too—this book is everything.

However, I’d never want my words to set someone else’s healing back, so I’ve put together a list of triggers so that you don’t walk in blindly. I can’t count how many fluffy romances I picked up only to find themes I wasn’t mentally prepared for. When you have PTSD or something else you struggle with, being equipped is an essential tool in your recovery.

Here are the potential triggers.

Drug and Alcohol Use: Some characters use drugs and drink alcohol.
Childhood Sexual Assault: Several characters have a history of being molested as children.
Guns and Violence: My vigilante bikers use guns to fight the bad guys, as well as other violent means of taking out the trash.
PTSD from Rape: A character experiences flashbacks, anxiety, and other symptoms of PTSD due to being raped by an ex-boyfriend.
Sexual Revenge: A character goes Full Dark, No Stars and a little biblical and gets their revenge.

If you feel that you won’t be safe reading A Risky Prospect, please don’t risk your health. As a rape survivor and someone with PTSD, I wish many books came with a list of trigger warnings. No book is worth your well-being.

Please also note that I don’t necessarily condone or endorse the themes contained in this book. I do, however, wish it was legal to kill rapists.

If you’ve read A Risky Prospect and feel that I may have missed something, please email me at elizabethbaronebooks@gmail.com.

Pre-order A Risky Prospect

Kindle Unlimited

Photo by Marvin Esteve on Unsplash

Trigger Warnings for A DISTURBING PROSPECT

A Disturbing Prospect is the darkest book I’ve ever written. Not only is there a body count, but the book also deals with some real-life nightmares that I’ve longed to fight back against. Some of these themes may trigger personal trauma.

I needed to tell the story in my heart and right some wrongs, but I’d also never want anyone to suffer because of my words. None of these themes are gratuitously presented in the book, and my vigilante bikers always prevail. Still, I want my readers to be safe, so here is a list of potential triggers.

Animals: There’s no pet death in A Disturbing Prospect, but an animal is harmed.

Biker Culture: Let’s be real—biker culture is misogynistic as fuck. I wanted to portray that realistically, while also incorporating some changes. There’s some biker slang and characters who treat women as property in this book.

Childhood Sexual Abuse: Some of the characters have a history of being sexually abused as children. None of their memories are described, but there is mention of it having happened.

Drugs: There is brief mention of selling and use of drugs.

Self-Injury: A character catches a glimpse of another character’s self-mutilated arms.

Sexual Assault: One of the recurring themes in this series is violence against women and children. (One of the other recurring themes, however, is justice for that violence.) There are some hints of past sexual assault throughout A Disturbing Prospect.

Stalking: A character mercilessly stalks and taunts another character throughout A Disturbing Prospect.

Violence: All of the good guys in this series are vigilantes—antiheroes who take justice into their own hands. There is blood, fighting, gun violence, and a villain body count.

If you feel that you won’t be safe reading A Disturbing Prospect, please don’t risk your health. As a sexual assault survivor and someone with PTSD, I wish every book came with a list of trigger warnings. No book is worth risking your safety.

Please also note that I don’t necessarily condone or endorse the themes contained in this book.

If you’ve read A Disturbing Prospect and feel that I may have missed something, please email me at elizabethbaronebooks@gmail.com.

Ex-con Cliff thought Olivia was the peace he needs, but she just might be the hell he’s riding away from.

A Disturbing Prospect is now available!

READ AN EXCERPT

Chapter 1

BUY NOW

Kindle · iBooks · Nook · More

A nod to Tess Sharpe, who wrote up a similar list for her Barbed Wire Heart and made me feel like less of an alien for wanting trigger warnings.

Photo by Ash from Modern Afflatus on Unsplash