Living on the Edge
Living on the Edge is the second book in the Tales from the Edge Series. In the first book you met Joe and Olly – well the protagonist in this story is Joe’s best friend and business partner Heath Anders. The company they run, The Edge, occasionally takes in young criminals in need of rehabilitation. Heath takes on responsibility for Aiden Keller, a brilliant and intriguing young man who has been convicted of hacking.
From the moment Heath takes charge of Aiden he recognises the boy’s submissive nature, even though it is well hidden beneath a veneer of snarky attitude. But for twelve months, Aiden is his responsibility and Heath cannot allow himself to get involved whilst the boy is obliged to obey him.
Aiden settles in to his new life with the help of Olly, Joe’s pretty, submissive boyfriend who is very perceptive when it comes to noticing the sparks of attraction flying between Aiden and Heath. Slowly and gently he teaches Aiden that submission is not a weakness and to accept his desire to be dominated.
Unable to resist, Heath starts to test Aiden’s willingness to be obedient, and against all the odds, love (and lust) start to bloom. Aiden however is not quite what he seems and his past endangers all their lives.
To what extent do you believe that it takes courage to give in when resisting temptation?
I wouldn’t apply this to all temptations – chocolate for example, it doesn’t take much courage to give in to that! But feelings are different and I think people often believe they must resist following their heart rather than their head. The courage comes from taking a chance that what the heart tells them may just be right.
How much did you have to investigate in to hacking before writing this book?
Hacking’s been in the news a lot recently and I researched various scandals and stories on the web. I wanted the hacking element of the story to remain quite mysterious so I didn’t give away my lack of expertise too much! There are brief references to some hacking jargon, but much of what Aiden gets up to is left to the imagination.
Can dominant and submissives alter their nature outside of the bedroom to fool people into thinking that they are the opposite?
I’m not sure they are necessarily fooling people by being different outside the bedroom. I know men in high-powered leadership roles who are the submissive partner in their relationships, but they aren’t pretending to be something they’re not in either part of their lives. Handing over the decision making at home can be a powerful stress reliever for someone who works under constant pressure.
Who are your favourite reads?
In my genre, I love anything by Kim Dare or Sean Michael. Other than that I confess to loving urban fantasy and my favourite authors are Rob Thurman, Mike Carey and Mark del Franco.
How did you become involved with Total-E-Bound Publishing?
Total-E-Bound was the first publisher I submitted work to and I was incredibly fortunate to be offered a contract. They are a great team – very supportive and understanding of someone new to the publishing world. Seven books later, I can’t imagine being with anyone else.
What is your writing process?
I carry a notepad around to scribble down plot ideas when they strike me. I rough out a plot line but don’t plan too rigidly because sometimes the story takes its own direction, but I usually have a firm ending in mind. I often write scenes several times before I’m happy with them and as a result, I’m painfully slow. Maybe with more experience I’ll be a bit more confident in what I write!
Which writers have your taken inspiration from ?
I don’t think the way I write has been inspired by anyone specifically but I’d like to think that little flashes of inspiration are helped along by subliminal memories of things I’ve read and loved. Poems and song lyrics are just as likely to grab my attention as novels and it might just be one sentence or paragraph. So I’d probably give name checks to William Horwood for beautiful description, Poe for atmosphere, Wilfred Owen for emotion, Dickens for characterisation and Daphne Du Maurier for storytelling.
What is next for you?
I’ve just finished the first book in a new series – it’s called Rasputin’s Kiss and is about two detectives. The sequel, Spikes, is underway. I’ve also started the fourth book in the Tales from the Edge series, which will be called A Double-Edged Sword.
Check out my interview with L M Somerton on Reaching the Edge!
Read an extract from Reaching the Edge now!
You can purchase Living on the Edge from Total-E-Bound Publishing.
