Motivation and Author Notes

I think Tom came from a discussion I was having with my editor about Ego. That and my need to create another three-letter book title. I was also listening to ‘all time low’ by ‘Jon Bellion’ and it gave me an idea. I had wanted to make another woman central character after enjoying that difference during Gam and the idea of Tom watching over Sue in a new book seemed very interesting to me.

It is quite different to Xen, Ego, and Gam which came before; it is almost chick-lit. There is no death in this one, well one, but that’s a natural death and takes place three years before this book is set. Also, rather unexpectedly this book became very difficult for me to write. Anyone who knows me and my family history will see this. I hope it has resulted in a book that has some emotional impact as it upset me to write it. Don’t worry though, I have tried to stick to my rules and not dwell on the depressing bits.

One thing I am a little worried about at the moment is that, because there is no murder or danger, I have put in quite a bit of sexual activity. This, like violence, is a difficult balance to manage. I don’t want to put so little it is incidental and not so much it is ‘adult’. I hope I have managed, I’ll get my mum to read and to check it isn’t filthy before proceeding.

It also quickly became very psychological. One theme in Ego was the journey that Edward took and what constitutes wrong and right. I wanted to look closer at this, hence the sex. Some of their actions are wrong, that’s clear. Some are right, still okay. Some, however, some are a bit grey. It depends on how you look at it. That, I think, wraps up our Western attitudes to sex and masturbation. I wanted to make people think, make people a little uncomfortable as they read it. Hopefully I did without going overboard, we will see.