Tag: recovery

Trigger warnings for Her Mercy

Although I purposely wrote Her Mercy to be a bit less dark than A Disturbing Prospect and A Risky Prospect, it still contains some themes that might be uncomfortable or even triggering for some readers. As a rape survivor, I am a huge supporter of trigger warnings in entertainment; I cannot tell you how many seemingly 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 trauma triggers, as well as a content warning.

  • Age gap romance: There is a substantial age difference between Bree and Mercy; she is 14 and he is 33 when this book begins.
  • 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 a teacher. Most of this is mentioned vaguely, on purpose; I needed to write a bit of a lighter book after A Risky Prospect.

If you feel that you won’t be safe reading Her Mercy, 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 Her Mercy and feel that I may have missed something, please email me.

Read Her Mercy

Runaway Bree shatters veteran Mercy’s peace when she shows up on his MC’s doorstep, then his heart when she runs away again. Can he find her and make up for twenty years lost?

I Stood My Ground

Last summer, I ran into one of the men who sexually assaulted me.

I knew it was a matter of time. We live in the same town. We have mutual friends. The clock was ticking. I was mentally prepared.

I thought.

It was a Saturday. I’d spent all week writing  A Risky Prospect. He hadn’t been far from my mind while I wrote Olivia struggling through her own PTSD. Still, I hadn’t exactly been worried about running into him.

I drove to the store for a pack of cigarettes. As I got out of my car and headed in, he went inside. I thought he looked familiar from behind, but talked myself out of it. I see men who look like him all the time and initially panic, then realize they are someone else. When I got inside, he turned around.

It was him.

We stood 10 or 20 feet apart. He stared at me. I stared back.

I wanted to turn and walk right back out. But I wanted that pack of cigarettes even more—especially since there he stood, right in front of me for the first time in years.

The last time I saw him was at the wake of a mutual friend.

As we stared each other down, I remembered everything: his hands around my throat, the mess on my face, the quiet and numb ride home, how I cut all contact with him as soon as I got out of his car and into the safety of my home.

I also remembered the good things: how he was my first kiss, how we stood there in front of our high school, snow falling around us. How he’d give me his hoodie when I was cold. How he always said the right things, but I no longer believed him.

He stood there in the store, I stood there in the store. He looked like he wanted to say something—just like the night of the wake. Except this time, I didn’t turn and walk away.

He was the one to walk away.

I bought my cigarettes and I drove home.

Even as the flashbacks slammed into me, I was proud of myself. I stood my ground.

It was a huge step forward for me.

Photo by Steinar Engeland 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