Can a villain be redeemed? Charity Anthology is 99 cents until tomorrow
Dec 19, 2021 3:01 am
Greetings from Abbotsford, British Columbia
The flood waters in my region have receded, and we had real snow last night. Of course the temperature has risen and now it's melting. Still, the dog and I had a lovely walk in the white stuff at five a.m..
Okay, on to my question: Can a villain in one book be redeemed in the next story?
I’ll let you in on a little secret – I don’t write great villains. I have written a few gems over the years in books that are yet to be published, but if you troll the books I’ve put out there, nasty characters are few and far between. What I do write is great emotional wounds. If you’ve had a moment to read my latest, Ginger Snapping All the Way, you’ll see I delve deep and make my men suffer. Do they come out whole on the other side? You bet. Readers love the happy ending.
In the book, I had one villain. Or, at least a bad guy. Maddox’s ex left him while he was recuperating after a bad workplace accident. Who would do that? Abandon the man he purports to love and doesn’t look back?
Fans have uniformly hated Stanley. Heck, I didn’t like him. I even gave him a throwaway name.
I know better. I swear I do.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself as a writer, no character is a throwaway. (With a few notable exceptions and a reminder to always stay on the good side of a writer because, you know, we have LONG memories.)
So where am I going with this?
Stanley. Stanley, Stanley, Stanley.
Recently I was presented with the opportunity to join a charity anthology. Secret Santa: A Romance Collection - net proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House. 80 authors. 69 stories. 1.2 million words. 99 cents. This was my opportunity to give back to a charity that has helped so many. A chance to do my part in something really good.
Oh, and I had 5 days to write the story. A story that began as 5,000 words, progressed to 12,000 and eventually became a novella at 17,000.
I needed a guy. I did what I always do, and I went back to my trove of characters to see whose story I could tell. Within moments, I landed on Stanley. What if he had good reasons for leaving Maddox? What if he could be redeemed?
The first scene was a no-brainer – he needed to be confronted by someone from his past. A nemesis. Maddox’s best friend Meg was perfect. Then I needed a hook. A friend suggested a lost dog. A lost dog? Around Christmas? Hello, tugging on heartstrings. Except, Sofia, Maddox’s dog, played a pretty important role in the previous book, so I didn’t want to go there again so soon. I thought…a lost child. Yes, a lost child. But how does a child get lost? Within an hour, I had Stanley’s story mapped out in my mind.
I knew this story would be a tough sell – readers hate Stanley. The wounds are deep for such a short piece. It’s instalove and basically happens over twenty-four hours during the magic of Christmas. But there are things readers will love. Deep emotional wounds. A lost child. A happy ending. And yes, maybe a dog.
Out popped Stanley’s Christmas Redemption. If you enjoyed Ginger, I think you’ll like seeing Stanley get him comeuppance. If you haven’t read the previous book, that’s okay. You get a sense of Stanley from the beginning and it’s fun to watch him change over time. Become a better man.
So I recommend you snap up the anthology, Secret Santa: A Romance Collection. 80 authors, 69 stories, 1.2 Million words, proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House, and all for 99 cents (until tomorrow night). For that price, you can’t go wrong! Most of the stories are m/f, but A.L. Morrow’s m/m novella, The Santagram, is also in there and it’s lovely as well.
Note – there’s a link in the beginning to prompt you to download the rest of the book. It’s so big, it can’t fit into just one book. My story is in the second part. If you need help figuring it out, reply to this email and I'll be happy to help. Also, if 99 cents stretches your budget, also feel free to reach out. I might be able to help.
Okay, here's the blurb:
Stanley
I have life figured out—a good job, a nice car, and an ex-boyfriend whose heart I broke. But then my younger half-brother dies unexpectedly, and I go back to our hometown to settle his affairs. A quick trip before Christmas. Instead, I get the shock of my life. Do I face this new challenge or do what I’ve always done and run? Or will I stay and get to know the most amazing man I’ve ever met and take on a responsibility I've never dreamed of facing? This is likely to be a holiday season like no other.
Justin
I’m a therapist who helps people deal with grief. My life is fulfilling. So what if I’ve been single for years? I have the kids I counsel and co-workers I adore. Maybe I’m tired of going home to an empty house and not looking forward to another Christmas alone. But I’m not going to be taken in by some slick city guy who can’t wait to leave town. I’m not going to upend my life just because I’ve met the man of my dreams. Right?
And here are two little sneak peaks!
Stanley’s Christmas Redemption Excerpt
Chapter One
Stanley
“Hey, Asshat.”
Oh Christ. I knew that voice. More than once over the past seven years, I’d heard that voice in my mind. When I was down. Regretting my life’s decisions.
Meg dropped onto the stool next to me.
Of all the gin joints in the world. Well, coffee shops, but the sentiment was the same. All I wanted was to sit and sip my chai latté. And let the world go by. “It’s Christmas Eve, Meg. Maybe I deserve some peace?” I didn’t, but I had to try.
Meg sipped her black coffee. A large coffee. In a ceramic mug.
She was here for the long haul.
I could leave. Slip off my stool, head for the door, and disappear into the throng of Christmas shoppers in the mall. But I wouldn’t do that. Couldn’t do that. Meg was here to confront me about my past, and my best interests lay in letting her say her piece. Wait… “Why are you even in Mission City? I thought you and that wife of yours were in Calgary.”
“Namita. Her name is Namita. And since you haunt me on social media, you know this. Just like you know Maddox and his husband Ravi have two beautiful children.”
Yes, I knew. Yes, my ex had two beautiful infants. Yes, looking at those photos hurt my heart.
“Maddox doesn’t need your shit, Stan. You were safely ensconced in Vancouver. Why come back to Mission City? There’s nothing for you here.”
She spoke the absolute truth. But she didn’t know my truth.
“If I promise to stay out of Maddox’s way, will you leave me alone?”
“You think I’m going to take your word for it?” Incredulity laced her voice. “No, you’re screwed. I’m going to make your life a living hell. I’m the voice of Christmas Past.”
Note, she hadn’t actually answered my first question.
“But I’ll share that we’re here to visit Maddox, Ravi, and the twins.”
“Violet and Victor. Cute.” Crap. Why had I said that? Provided her with ammunition?
“You're going to stay well clear of those babies, hear me?” She sipped her coffee. “Because you know I’ll kick your ass.” She turned to give me an assessing look. “Although I have to say your ass is looking better than it has in a long time. You working out? You've lost weight?”
Nice of her to notice.
“I might’ve decided to do some extra workouts.” Not too defensive.
“Starting to feel your age? Afraid you can’t attract the young studs anymore?”
I was feeling every one of those forty-five years today. Meg was only a few behind me, but her wife was about fifteen years younger than her. “You worried your gorgeous young wife is going to tire of you?”
Her green eyes flashed. “Watch what you say about Namita. We have a soul bond. Nothing short of death will tear us apart.”
I’d once felt that way. About Maddox. Now I knew better. Nothing was forever.
“Look, Stan, I don’t know why you’re back. Frankly, I couldn’t give a shit. But you know I’m protective of my own. You hurt Maddox. Your leaving devastated him. I mean, how low can someone go?” She tapped a finger to her cup. The nail was short and unpolished. I used to think of her as rough as well, but time had softened my perception of her. I’d left, and she’d stayed. Been by Maddox’s side, in spirit if not in body. Theirs was a close bond, and she’d let me know what an asshole I was for leaving.
She wasn’t wrong.
“You do what you have to do.” She rose. “But give Maddox a wide berth. He’s forgiven you. I haven’t. You mess with his happiness, and I promise our next chat won’t be nearly as cordial.” She pushed her curly dark hair out of her eyes and our gazes locked. “We clear?”
“Crystal.”
She slapped me on the back. Hard. “Then have yourself a merry little Christmas.” She plopped her Vancouver Olympics 2010 hat onto her head and exited the coffee shop.
My latté had grown cold and my stomach was in knots. I could’ve told her the real reason I’d come home, but that would’ve been humiliating. I rose and stretched. Too long on that stool. I hadn’t asked her how she’d found me, but she’d always been good at stuff like that. Creative. Inventive.
Nosy.
A.L. Morrow's The Santagram
Forget the mistletoe. To win back the heart of the man he loves, he'll have to jingle his bells instead.
Health nut Rory Townsend won’t admit it, but there are other things he’d rather be doing on a Saturday night than watching his partner, Nolan Shaw, clip his toenails and dribble ice cream down his T-shirt. In Nolan’s defense, it’s not his fault he’s in a rut: this past year has sucked—and not in the fun way.
Determined to give their relationship the shot of adrenaline it needs, Rory wants to get Nolan the perfect Christmas present. But funds are tight, so Rory gets creative and takes a side gig delivering naughty Santagrams. Sure, the outfit’s skimpy and he has to … um … jingle his bells. But Nolan’s worth it.
At least that’s what Rory thinks until he shows up at his next client's door and comes face-to-face with Nolan himself. Will a pair of skimpy red shorts and some mistletoe be enough to rescue their romance?
A novella-length story of approximately 20,000 words.
The Santagram Excerpt:
Rory reached back to rub the base of his neck, which—for a reason he couldn’t quite confirm but suspected had something to do with Brooke’s sudden scheming—was becoming increasingly tense. “I don’t know. I’m not sure more time apart will help anything. We already barely see each other—”
“Exactly! Nolan’s barely home. He won’t notice or suspect a thing.”
“Yeah, but Emmett the EMT knows you exist. Nolan and me … not so much lately. If I’m never there to remind him, he might forget entirely.”
Brooke clicked her tongue and threw her hands in the air. “That’s not true, and you know it.” She adjusted the pace on her treadmill again, then gave Rory a pointed look. “Fight for your man, dude. I shouldn’t have to tell you this. Sheesh.”
She was right. He knew she was right. Nolan was worth it. He was worth everything.
“By the way,” Brooke added, “you do know Emmett’s last name isn’t really ‘the EMT,’ don’t you?”
Rory chuckled. “I was at the wedding. I saw the invitation. What can I say? I like the alliteration. And the fact that his career is basically an abbreviation for his name.”
“All right, just checking,” she said.
But she seemed unconvinced.
More news!
Great news! Ginger Snapping All the Way is FINALLY whispersynched (hello, two pleading emails to Audible later...) If you haven't already picked up this gem, what are you waiting for? Michael Dean delivers a stellar performance!
And now the treats!
Have yourself a very merry M/M/ romance!
14 m/m authors have joined together to bring you some holiday cheer with these great free reads!
If you love a variety of romances, keep reading!
Show some love for 99 cent romances!
Love Christmas stories? These holiday books are just 99 cents (or less!) and available for a limited time!
'Tis the Season!
Ready for a new Christmas Story? These books are out just in time for Christmas and are available on all platforms. There's bound to be something that will pique your interest!
Thank you for sticking with me until the end. Here’s where I sign off after having talked your ear off. My brother would read this and say you got off lightly.
I hope you have a lovely holiday season – however you celebrate. I know I’ll be alone Christmas Day, so feel free to hit reply and send me a quick note.
Take Care. Stay Safe. Stay Sane.
Love, Gabbi
And don't forget to pick up the anthology!