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🌟 Please join me in welcoming author Susan Hawke to Stories That Make You Smile! Susan is here today celebrating the fabulous first book in her new Davey’s Rules series, Rules to Follow. She’s brought along a nice excerpt and kindle sat down for an interview. Read on to discover Susan’s writing methods, and find out who should play Susan Hawke in a movie! 🌟
Rules to Follow by Susan Hawke
Davey’s Rule #86: A good Daddy will never lie to his boy… even by omission.
Series: Davey’s Rules (Book #1)
Cover Artist:
Release Date: July 14, 2019
Length: 284 pages
Pairing / Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance, Daddy/boy
Blurb
Davey’s Rule #86: A good Daddy will never lie to his boy… even by omission.
Travis Miller has a pretty solid life in the small California beach town he calls home. He’s working his way up in the district attorney’s office, he owns a home with an ocean view, and he has close ties with his family. Life is good. If only he could find a sweet boy to call his own, life would be… perfect.
Adam Nichols’ life has never been easy. Growing up in foster care taught him to be strong, so finding himself in a violent relationship was a shock. Now that he’s finally free of it, he faces new problems. He’s jobless, homeless, and terrified of starting from scratch.
With a little help from an old friend, Adam discovers a whole new world. He goes from rock bottom to renting a room from a hot assistant DA and working at Daddy’s Lap, a kink club that opens his vanilla eyes to things he’d never imagined. His new roommate is a balm to Adam’s damaged soul. The tender way Travis cares for him is almost like the Daddy kink community he’s seen at the club. But Travis isn’t a Daddy… right? If he were, surely he’d have said so.
What happens when a lie by omission threatens to bring their budding relationship tumbling down around them? Will Travis ever be able to earn Adam’s trust again?
This is the first book in a new series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book. Possible trigger for references to domestic violence.
Excerpt
After the movie, we finally took our groceries home. Travis insisted on putting everything away himself. “While I do this, how about you order us a pizza? After that scare fest you talked me into watching, I’m in the mood for something lighter. While we eat, maybe we can watch that Adam Sandler movie we never finished.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan. Same order as last time?” I was already on my phone, loading the website to order online.
“Yes, but no onions or extra garlic on this one.” He sounded so certain, I couldn’t help but look up curiously. He was bent into the refrigerator, so I couldn’t see his face. Not that I minded the view I did have, though. In fact, I was so busy checking out his butt that it took me a second for his next comment to register. “Unless you promise to eat the same thing. If we end up kissing again, I refuse to have bad breath unless it’s mutual.”
This was the first time he’d acknowledged the kiss. And he was hinting at another? My mouth went dry as I adjusted my pants that had suddenly gotten a little too tight in certain areas. “I-I, umm…” I gave my head a shake and started again when I couldn’t get the words out the first time. “I vote for onions and garlic on the whole thing. Mutual bad breath for the win. Besides, there’s garlic in the sauce anyway.”
When he stood and looked over at me, I focused on my screen. I could feel my stupid cheeks blushing. I knew he’d noticed it when I heard a quiet chuckle. Deciding this was a good time to excuse myself and get a little bit under control, I headed out of the room.
“I’ll be right back; I’m just going to change. If we’re going to be in relaxation mode, these stiff jeans need to go.” Just the mention of the word stiff had me blushing all over again, because my pants weren’t the only stiff thing on my body.
By the time I cleaned up and changed into pj pants, Travis was waiting in the living room with our pizza and a couple glasses of wine. My eyes widened when I took in the dimly lit room with the movie paused and waiting on the TV. Gulping, I glanced at Travis. “Wow, I didn’t mean to take that long.”
He shook his head and patted the couch beside him as he turned and stretched a leg out like he had last time. “You didn’t take too long, they were just really fast with the delivery this time. Come sit with me. I was thinking maybe we could cuddle. Unless you think that’s too much, too soon?”
“No, that sounds… ah… nice.” My heart pounded as I scurried over and got settled between his legs with my back to his chest. Travis pulled the coffee table closer and opened the pizza box.
“I brought napkins, if you need one. But I figure we can forgo plates tonight and keep it casual. Does that work for you?” His voice was like velvet as it caressed my ear.
I felt my blush return as I awkwardly nodded. “Y-Yes. That sounds good.” I waited while he started the movie then reached into the pizza box. I figured I would grab my slice after he’d taken first pick.
Instead of biting into the piece he’d chosen, he held it to my mouth instead. “Take a bite, sweet boy. You always tease me about wanting to feed you. Tonight I’d like to live up to my reputation.” He chuckled and waited for me to bite into the pizza.
It was weirdly nice to be fed. He patiently waited, lowering the slice while I chewed each mouthful. It wasn’t until I’d finished three slices and groaned that I couldn’t handle another bite that he finally ate his own. I slouched back against his shoulder, watching the movie while he had his turn at dinner. I didn’t even bother with the wine; I was buzzed enough on Travis.
If anybody had walked up right then and asked me about the movie, I doubted I could have told them anything more than who starred in it. I was too aware of Travis and how good it felt to snuggle against his hard body.
Was I falling for him? It sure felt like it. The way I kept blushing, the way my palms got damp, the way my heart raced when he was near… the signs were definitely there. I thought back over everything I’d seen of this man, poking my memories for a sign of anything wrong with him.
Something had to be, because I did not have a good track record where men were concerned. The more I considered it, though, I couldn’t find a single thing that would put up a red flag. If anything, he made me feel protected and special.
☆ Author Interview ☆
Welcome, and thank you for stopping by!
Are you a planner or a pantser? How much do you know about your story before you start writing? How often does your plan change? Why does this work best for you?
Neither, I’m a plantser. I started off pantsing, but when I switched to dictation it became necessary to outline actual plots. But my outline are loose guidelines of what needs to happen in that chapter and I take it from there. So yeah, plotted pantser, or plantser, that’s me.
Choosing from among your own stories, which is your favorite book? Why?
How to Heal is probably my favorite because of the subject matter. Aside from the light Daddy kink, which I love, this was cathartic for me. Clark was a bully in earlier LOVESTRONG books, although we later found out he was being abused at home by a biggoted parent. Finding out that he was in so much pain from the things he’d done to others and that he was hurting himself was huge. Anxiety, depression, self-hate… these are things that I’ve either dealt with personally or seen friends and family members face. This was my way of putting a spotlight on that, and showing that even the people we think are the worst might be fighting their own battles.
Choosing from among your own stories, who is your favorite character? Why?
Definitely Davey from Rules to Follow. He’s sassy, snarky, flamboyant and… kind. Under all his drama, he’s got a big heart and is far more capable than he knows. Readers will be shocked by my plans for him, hopefully in a good way!
Do you schedule a certain amount of time for writing each day/week, or do you just work it in when you can? Would you like to change this, or does your current method work well for you?
I view writing as my full-time job, because it is. I put in a minimum of eight hours a day on either writing or editing. I work from midnight to eight a.m. when my family is asleep and most people aren’t online to distract me with messages and funny memes. At night, it’s just me and my headset, telling stories. This works well for me, except that sometimes I’m sleeping and missing time with my family. I’ve been working on work/life balance, but it’s a work in progress.
What was the most difficult part of writing this book? Why?
I’ve made no secret that I’ve struggled in my past, and these are the things I use to fuel my writing. I’ve always said the sad backstories so many of my characters share are because I like to show that there is always hope. I grew up in an abusive environment, like so many of my readers. I dedicated this book to my mom, mentioning how she should’ve left and didn’t. That first chapter of Adam waking up beaten and deciding he needed to leave is based on my childhood fantasies of my mom leaving and taking us with her. It was beyond difficult for me to write this and other characters like him, but it’s also cathartic.
Tell us a little bit about your work(s) in progress!
Right now I’m working on a romantic comedy about a jilted groom getting a second chance with his would-be bride’s brother. They’re roommates and best friends, so I’m hitting one of my favorite tropes with this one.
What are your favorite genres when it comes to your own pleasure reading? Do you prefer to read ebooks or print?
I swore I’d never go to ebook… until I did. LOL! Now I do all my reading on my phone because it’s so easy to hold in my hands, even when they’re stiff and sore. Favorite genre? OMG, so many… my top favorite would be friends to lovers, but I also love a good single dad story and I definitely need my “Daddy” kink.
What advice would you give to newbie writers?
Keep writing! Bad review? Keep writing! Book not selling as well as you’d hoped? Keep writing. Need to have your name better known? Keep writing. The answer to every problem newbie writers face is to keep writing. You can’t improve, gain more followers, and sell more books if you’re not writing. As for reviews, if they don’t offer helpful criticism that can make your next book better, don’t read them. They’re meant for other readers anyway. And don’t get caught up in your hype either. Great reviews can also mess with your head, and make you think you’ll never be able to write another book that good. Just keep writing!
What is the best money you ever spent as an author?
My editor’s fee! Nothing is more important than a good editor. Second to Courtney, I’d say my dictation software. I have severe carpal tunnel, so Dragon has been a lifesaver for me.
How do you select the names of your characters?
I figure out what year the character was born, then google popular baby names for that year. I used to just pull a name out of the top of my head, but my editor gave me crap for too many J and M names… lol.
Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Definitely Melissa McCarthy!
What is your favorite quote?
“Today is the first day of the rest of my life.”
Do you prefer to write in 1st person or 3rd person? Past tense or present tense? Why?
I prefer 1st person, past tense. First person because I feel like it’s more intimate to read their thoughts. Past because I think present tense can be awkward if you aren’t a pro with it. I’m not sure I could do it justice, so I’m good with past tense.
What do you do in your free time?
READ. And occasionally, I sleep.
Meet the Author
As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.
I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.
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