Feel the Olivia and Cliff vibes with this playlist of songs that inspired me while writing A Disturbing Prospect.
Read the River Reapers MC Series
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SONS OF ANARCHY Handled Tara’s Stalker All Wrong
As much as I love Sons of Anarchy, one thing has always bugged me: how Tara’s stalker was handled.
Don’t get me wrong. It was super heroic of Jax to kill that motherfucker. And that sex scene after, with the body right in the corner? Smoking hot, even if a little twisted.
But.
But!
Kohn tortured Tara. Terrorized her. Drove her out of her job and home, and then followed her there and continued to toy with her.
As a woman who has had a stalker, I really needed Tara to be the one to kill Kohn.
He was her demon; she should’ve slayed him.
Instead, we got a classic damsel in distress storyline, with Jax saving the day and Tara not at all empowered. You could argue that her character wasn’t the stalker killing type, and maybe you’re right, but it still bugged me.
My stalker wasn’t nearly as deranged as Kohn, but he was scary enough. He seemed benign enough, at first—a photographer in one of my college classes who needed a model. I’d done some modeling for a high school friend, so I jumped at the chance. Then he started talking about shooting me nude, in the woods, so I politely extracted myself.
Or so I thought.
For weeks, he followed me all over campus. It wasn’t a small campus, so at first I tried to convince myself that we just kept running into each other. But I was creeped out, and my gut is never wrong.
He wouldn’t let the shoot go, either.
Thankfully, I had some awesome friends who were more than happy to hover around me like overprotective brothers, and my stalker eventually got the message. I never even had to use my mace. Which was kinda too bad.
Still, when I watched Sons of Anarchy for the first time, I related to Tara quite a bit. Obsessive men are fucking scary. I hoped and hoped Tara would be the one to save herself, and even though I wasn’t surprised when Jax saved her, I was still disappointed.
Years later, when I sat down to write the forbidden biker romance that became A Disturbing Prospect, I knew one thing for sure: my distressed damsel would not be asking her biker boyfriend to handle her problems.
Maybe I’m being stubborn, but I’ve been taking care of myself my whole life. I don’t need Prince Charming to ride in on his motorcycle and shoot down my dragon. I’ve got my own gun. I’ll slay my own monsters.
-Olivia, A Disturbing Prospect (River Reapers MC, Book 1)
Maybe if more of us handled things like Olivia, creepy men would back the fuck off.
No offense, Tara.
Did you know you can pre-order the sequel to A Disturbing Prospect? Click here!
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Trigger Warnings for A RISKY PROSPECT
When I published A Disturbing Prospect, I told you it was the darkest book I’d ever written. Well, I think I’ve outdone myself. *laughs nervously*
I 1,000% stand behind A Risky Prospect. I wrote this book for me. I took two “men” who hurt me, merged them into one character, and then got my revenge. I realize that this book isn’t for everyone. It might not make sense to a lot of people. But to me—and maybe for some of you who have survived hell, too—this book is everything.
However, I’d never want my words to set someone else’s healing back, so I’ve put together a list of triggers so that you don’t walk in blindly. I can’t count how many fluffy romances I picked up only to find themes I wasn’t mentally prepared for. When you have PTSD or something else you struggle with, being equipped is an essential tool in your recovery.
Here are the potential triggers.
- Drug and Alcohol Use: Some characters use drugs and drink alcohol.
- Childhood Sexual Assault: Several characters have a history of being molested as children.
- Guns and Violence: My vigilante bikers use guns to fight the bad guys, as well as other violent means of taking out the trash.
- PTSD from Rape: A character experiences flashbacks, anxiety, and other symptoms of PTSD due to being raped by an ex-boyfriend.
- Sexual Revenge: A character goes Full Dark, No Stars and a little biblical and gets their revenge.
If you feel that you won’t be safe reading A Risky Prospect, please don’t risk your health. As a rape survivor and someone with PTSD, I wish many books came with a list of trigger warnings. No book is worth your well-being.
Please also note that I don’t necessarily condone or endorse the themes contained in this book. I do, however, wish it was legal to kill rapists.
If you’ve read A Risky Prospect and feel that I may have missed something, please email me at elizabethbaronebooks@gmail.com.
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Trigger Warnings for A DISTURBING PROSPECT
A Disturbing Prospect is the darkest book I’ve ever written. Not only is there a body count, but the book also deals with some real-life nightmares that I’ve longed to fight back against. Some of these themes may trigger personal trauma.
I needed to tell the story in my heart and right some wrongs, but I’d also never want anyone to suffer because of my words. None of these themes are gratuitously presented in the book, and my vigilante bikers always prevail. Still, I want my readers to be safe, so here is a list of potential triggers.
Animals: There’s no pet death in A Disturbing Prospect, but an animal is harmed.
Biker Culture: Let’s be real—biker culture is misogynistic as fuck. I wanted to portray that realistically, while also incorporating some changes. There’s some biker slang and characters who treat women as property in this book.
Childhood Sexual Abuse: Some of the characters have a history of being sexually abused as children. None of their memories are described, but there is mention of it having happened.
Drugs: There is brief mention of selling and use of drugs.
Self-Injury: A character catches a glimpse of another character’s self-mutilated arms.
Sexual Assault: One of the recurring themes in this series is violence against women and children. (One of the other recurring themes, however, is justice for that violence.) There are some hints of past sexual assault throughout A Disturbing Prospect.
Stalking: A character mercilessly stalks and taunts another character throughout A Disturbing Prospect.
Violence: All of the good guys in this series are vigilantes—antiheroes who take justice into their own hands. There is blood, fighting, gun violence, and a villain body count.
If you feel that you won’t be safe reading A Disturbing Prospect, please don’t risk your health. As a sexual assault survivor and someone with PTSD, I wish every book came with a list of trigger warnings. No book is worth risking your safety.
Please also note that I don’t necessarily condone or endorse the themes contained in this book.
If you’ve read A Disturbing Prospect and feel that I may have missed something, please email me at elizabethbaronebooks@gmail.com.
Ex-con Cliff thought Olivia was the peace he needs, but she just might be the hell he’s riding away from.
A Disturbing Prospect is now available!
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A nod to Tess Sharpe, who wrote up a similar list for her Barbed Wire Heart and made me feel like less of an alien for wanting trigger warnings.
Photo by Ash from Modern Afflatus on Unsplash
Biker Slang and Club Roles
Now that A Disturbing Prospect is live, I thought I’d run through some of the biker slang and club member titles that pop up throughout the book. While writing, I used this biker slang dictionary as a reference.
Looking for A Risky Prospect terms and locations? Click here!
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Cut: The leather jacket or vest that members of a club wear, usually with the club’s insignia embroidered onto the back, and various patches sewn on.
Enforcer: Sort of a bouncer for the club… or the guy who sorts things out when talking doesn’t work.
House Mouse: A woman who is unaffiliated with but hangs out with the club.
Holeshot: When someone in a motor vehicle rips up gravel. It’s also the fastest driver during a race. Not a biker term, but a reader asked about it, so I figured I’d include it. It also used to be my dad’s CB handle.
Ol’ Lady / Ol’ Man: Girlfriend/boyfriend, usually serious.
One-kicker: In A Disturbing Prospect, Cliff mentions that he isn’t a one-kick wonder yet; this means that he can’t start his bike with just one kick of the starter.
One-percenter: A club that is involved with illegal activity.
MC: Motorcycle club
Patch: This can refer to the patch on a biker’s cut, or the verb—as in, getting patched in, meaning being accepted as a member.
President: The member who oversees club activities, duties, and operations.
Prospect: A potential member.
Pussy Pad: The seat on the back of the bike, usually where a biker’s ol’ lady rides.
Rocker: A curved patch that is usually placed on the side or back of a cut. Usually designates the club’s name.
Sergeant-at-Arms: The member who handles club rules, patches, etc. Also sometimes weapons. (In some MCs, the SAA and Enforcer are interchangeable terms for the same role.)
Treasurer: The member who takes care of funds. Also organizes activities, fundraisers, and other club events.
Vice President: Second-in-command, usually coordinates Church and other events, and also takes over President roles in case that member can’t perform his duties.
There are other positions in an MC, but I didn’t want to overwhelm my readers with a whole slew of characters. You’ll meet more of the members in the next book. 😉
A Disturbing Prospect
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Ex-con Cliff thought Olivia was the peace he needs, but she might be the hell he’s trying to escape.
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Elizabeth Barone 