In Hell We Dance

Author's Note

This is a mature story, so that means some *coughs nervously* frickle-frackle, drugs, guns... just a whole lot of excitement that I don't usually deal with, but will challenge me as I grow as a writer. But these are all Isaac's vices, and the story I want to tell is one about corruption, and finding someone who can clean you of that stain.

This is not meant to be a pleasant book. Some nice things happen, but when I created these characters, I knew the story would be a lot darker than anything I'd written before. Sometimes it is these confronting stories that you wouldn't normally read that challenge you, and that's OK. I've explored more fun relationships in my other stories, but this isn't one of them. Fun happens, but more than that, heartache and pain on a scale that has you questioning why these characters are even bothering. It's that darkness in their hearts that drives them further towards oblivion, and I find that journey darkly fascinating.

Isaac is a rough, oftentimes confronting protagonist, which is why you need the soft edges of Connor, of Corin, and Aiden, all colourful characters you'll meet in this story (or meet again for those who have read my previous romance novel, Wild Hearts). I ask you, if this isn't your cup of tea, to turn away now. However, if you wish to discover a story about a dark heart finding a reason to love again, to look past his lust—to trust in people again, then I hope you like the tale I'm telling. Above all, I want the characters to be interesting, funny, and sometimes, yeah, Isaac will scare you. He'll walk a deadly road, a disturbing one that has you shouting at the screen, but that's who he is, and that darkness is something I wanted to explore. Why is he like this, and should we immediately just dismiss someone who commits atrocity after atrocity, or can there be redemption even then? Gunshots will be fired, and hearts will be broken. You, just like the characters will go through a lot of darkness, of gritty broken Isaac doing more than questionable evil, but when he starts to open his heart, it's those moments you yearn for.

Just a warning here if you have read this far, the following chapter will contain a scene of a sexual nature. This novel contains several sex scenes as they inform his character, and inform the intimate act of love and all its forms, not just the more romantic, innocent and pure element I focused on in Wild Hearts, something I feel crucial in Isaac's journey. For some, you'll be right at home. I ask the others to read on as you would in any other novel, and know that though there will be more scenes like this throughout the book, and scenes as I've mentioned that can be a little disturbing. There's lots of swearing, explicitly detailed sex scenes, and this is partly why I never thought I'd write this book. It would turn off a lot and I eventually decided I didn't care. This is the messy, truthful story I wanted to tell, profanity and adult content a reflection of our world. Isaac doesn't work as a PG young adult bad boy who maybe says the occasional f word and we move on. His world is one of no restraint, of having grown up rough and free in his sexual pursuits. He will swear often, will confront you with how lustful and impulsive he is, but he's never depraved or psychotic. At some points in the book, he will hit a dangerous low but he isn't an irredeemable monster. Just tragically human. The broken unapologetic we like to avoid and flinch at. Isaac doesn't care. Flinch away. But you can't stop looking.

I'm here to serve the story, nothing more. Who knows, you may just like what you see...

(Not the frickle-frackle, although maybe you really like that stuff)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This book contains heavy uses of coarse language, several scenes of a sexual nature, distressing scenes and deals with issues of dependency, suicide and self-worth. Please note these themes don't necessarily overwhelm the book and there is an attempt to balance the more distressing elements with levity and ultimately an engaging, optimistic tale.