Joke Koolloos

@JokeKoolloos  I appreciate your dismay. As a writer, I'm tempted never to let bad things happen to my characters. Yet, those weak, humiliating, and undesirable aspects of their personalities force them to examine themselves and improve their behaviour over time. Without problems and conflict, there's no character-building to be done. That said, I've only got Ryan doing this one more time in the whole series and it's at the start of the chapter called '0700hrs' in this second book. The chapter is divided into three parts separated by sets of centred dashes that look like this:
            
            - - - 
            
            It might help to know that there's nothing like as much raw description as the horrible encounter at the nightclub in 'Sixteenth Grave'. It's just Ryan – lonely and distressed by his behaviour – getting out of bed at a seedy motel, putting on his clothes, and heading off. However, if that still triggers you, then rather than abandon what might be a very enjoyable read as a whole, I suggest simply skipping the opening paragraphs of the chapter called '0700hrs'. There's no further bedroom activity in 'Racing The Tide', and you don't need to have read that part to understand the rest of the story. You can safely rejoin straight after the  - - -  marker, where Ryan arrives in the office, to be greeted by a constable called Bonnie Morrison, who tells him about the new case. Thereafter, Ryan's focus is right back on the case, and of course, his faithful pal Jake!

@DanGarrettAuthor thanks for the heads-up but I will not abandon the story, I like it way to much for that to happen. And I more than understand that the characters need to go through it before they can grow. Understandable that you can't cater to everyone's likes and dislikes or triggers, and that's okay. I understand you want to please the reader but at the end of the day, it's your story. And I just need time to let go but I'm not abandoning........I'm way to invested in the boys. 

@JokeKoolloos  Thank you for your comment, and I agree wholeheartedly about Ryan's disappointing conduct. If you think reading it felt horrible, imagine having to write it! And there's more of it to come in today's chapter of this story, I'm afraid. Ryan's loneliness is making him do some horrible things. Once you've read how tortured he is by his own behaviour, you might find that night-club chapter in Book 1 of the trilogy easier to understand. Ryan is not shallow, and Jake is not stupid - he knows exactly what's going on. He can sense that Ryan is desperate to be loved, to be understood, to have someone he can be cosy and tender with, but Jake has his own demons to deal with and isn't ready to trust any lover. Ryan is slowly and surely falling for Jake and is struggling very hard to mask those feelings. You can trust me when I tell you that by halfway through 'The Sixteenth Grave', we get the first kiss and all his resistance goes straight to hell in a handcart, so it's worth picking it up and pushing on. My advice would be to read this story first. It's the last one before Sixteenth Grave and should (fingers crossed) tie in seamlessly, giving you a better picture of why that first book in the trilogy starts as it does (after a terrible fight) and why the two men are working in such different mindsets.

@JokeKoolloos ❤️❤️❤️

@geekiechicforall13 you're welcome, thank you for your wonderful  writing.

@DanGarrettAuthor can't wait ( but no rush )  I'm more than sure I'll love that one too 

@JokeKoolloos  No worries. Stay on the followers list for alerts on more stories here on Watty. It won't be this year, but hopefully by spring of 20025, I'll have another Ryan and Jake story free to read.

@DanGarrettAuthor unfortunately I don't have kindle or account. I may have to look for another way to read ...... Jack and Ryan together are one, what one lacks the other has. Can't help but find their work as well as there personal relationship adorable.

@elveloy i hope you find inspiration, I will wait patiently 

@JokeKoolloos I'd like to, one day. I think that story does lend itself to expansion, though I have to think of a new plot to involve them in!

@elveloy question, are you planning more stories about Ash and Kai ??
            I hope you will absolutely loved it 

@ MeXagainstXtheXworld  your very welcome. I'm sure I'll love it ☺️

@ AlphaKelly  I'm sure I will hun, thanks for writing and posting it so I can read it in the first place 

@ gebruikersnaam1212  hi