Get In on the Beginning of Hot, New 5-Part series with Trainwreck (Trainwreck #1) by Michele Micheal Rakes (guest interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Trainwreck (Trainwreck #1) by Michele Micheal Rakes 
Release Date: January 25, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Michele Micheal Rakes

Cover Artist: Drai Bearwomyn
Cover Photography by Dan Skinner
Editing: Tina Adamski

 

Today Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Michele Micheal “Mikey” Rakes, author of (Trainwreck, here today. Hi,Mikey, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

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All my friends know me as Mikey, but I write under my full name so my mother can be proud of me. I’ve written other books for Loose Id: Saving Kane, Fourth and Long, and I’m working on the two follow up books for those stories. Trainwreck was written in six months toward the end of getting my degree in surgical technology, back in 2010. Took a while to get these guys out there for readers.

• Tell us about your book.

Trainwreck was the first book I completed and was my 1,111 page 380,000 word opus. Hehehe. Well, I decided to break it up into five parts because I thought it might be easier for readers to digest during work breaks and whatnot…all those places we like to squeeze in some reading(i.e. the bathroom). Trainwreck is more about Vince than any of the other characters, but it is a polyamorous romance as well as a crime thriller. Vincent Sweetwater is a LAPD detective who is returning to work after a motorcycle accident. The murder of a young girl propels him back into a world he used to frequent, to catch a killer, but also solve the mystery of his childhood. He is living with his estranged wife and he’s living a lie. This is a dark novel. A story of one man struggling through the pain of his past and the dismal reality of his present until circumstances give him another chance at happiness.

• How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

Not terribly difficult to get inside Vincent Sweetwater’s head, because so much of me is in that character. Greg Dunne was difficult at times because he is as vulnerable as Vince, yet he is the more dominant character.

• Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

Trainwreck’s a five part series that I plan to have all released by June. The other parts are in various stages of edit. A sequel has already been written, as well, called Surviving Adam. I plan on releasing that next year.

• Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

I prefer M/M stories, but Trainwreck is a poly romance. Book One is M/F. In Book Two, there are elements of sadomasochism, and M/M. Book Three is where the poly begins and more of the submission dynamic comes into play. Trainwreck began as a romance novel where the hero and heroine were already on the first of divorce. Vince began to whisper in my ear about his sexual proclivities and so told me he was more than a womanizer. I simply let Vince tell his story. His sexuality confusion and his need to know what is locked up in his mind. This is very much a psychological thriller as well as a romance.

• Where do you find your inspiration?

 

I find my inspiration in a number of places. Saving Kane was inspired by a real case where a gay man was lured into a gang rape and robbery. Garrett has his hero/love interest was all me. I took inspiration for Fourth and Long from my love of football. Trainwreck stems from my gender issues and also a catharsis for my own issues. I always have this need for dragging characters through the muck and mire before handing them a happy ending. In my opinion, there’s enough sad endings in real life, I don’t want to write one. My wife passed away in October of last year. My husband and I are still coming to terms with the fact our poly is over before it really got started. I never dreamed Mary would die so young. We had plans. Trainwreck is being released because she loved this book and I promised her to grab my balls and put it out here for all the readers willing to take a chance on what she called a wild ride.

Blurb

Detective Sergeant Vincent Sweetwater hates dead bodies. That’s why he’s an undercover narc and not a homicide dick. So why is he standing on a sandy beach in California staring at a lifeless body—oh yeah, the suicide attempt. Lieutenant Hanson is making a statement. Something about life worth living. Shows what he knows.

As Vince examines the tortured body, he feels an empathy and déjà vu for the victim, her wounds are similar to scars he has only a vague memory receiving. An intense desire to find her killer fills his queasy belly as a dark game of cat and mouse begins.

The young woman’s death forces Vince back into a secret life dominated by sex, perversion, and sadomasochism. Estranged from his wife he still loves and longing for the man who possessed him once, Vince buries his torment deep inside meaningless sex.

*Warning: This book contains adult content and situations. NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH.

 

Pages or Words: 374 pages
Categories: BDSM, Bisexual, Crime Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance, Thriller

Excerpt:

Vince grabbed the remote and clicked on the news. He paid little attention as he rubbed his aching hip. When Lola Romero began her news report he glanced up to see an official photo of himself in uniform.

“Jesus, talk about an old fucking picture.”

Despite being only twenty-three in the photo, he hadn’t appeared young and fresh faced. His eyes had held a kind of darkness even then, and his best efforts were unable to hide the pain.

“An L.A.P.D. Information officer confirmed the return to duty of Detective Vincent Sweetwater just one week after a horrifying display of violence toward a man who was reportedly beating his five-year-old son in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Inglewood. Detective Sweetwater was nearly killed last year in a motorcycle accident on the Pacific Coast Highway and is still under scrutiny following alleged misconduct while under deep cover with the narcotics division.”

“Bite me, Lola.” Vince shut off the TV, flopping back on the bed, staring into the darkness.

“Fuck my life. It was more than a year ago. Bitch.”

I hate people.

 

Buy the book: Amazon

Meet the author:

Michele Micheal Rakes lives in a small town in the shadow of a big mountain and works as a surgical technologist assisting in the removal of tonsils and testicles. Three grown children, a one year old granddaughter named Thrasher, two psychotic Egyptian Mau’s, a husband with hair down to his knees, an Amazon for a wife, two Harley’s, and a ferret named Teeny Tiny Ferret Feet (husband insists her name Little Feet, we all know he’s wrong) life is gets pretty wild.

Note: Wife recently passed away from cancer and this book is dedicated in loving memory of Mary Louise Castleman. Love you babe!

Where to find the author:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/michelerakes1
• Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/michelemichealrakes
• Twitter: @MicheleRakes
• Blog: www.michelerakes.wordpress.com

Tour Dates & Stops:

17-Feb Book Lovers 4Ever, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

24-Feb Love Bytes, Mikky’s World of Books

2-Mar Full Moon Dreaming, Man2ManTastic, Bonkers About Books, Bayou Book Junkie

9-Mar    BFD Book Blog, Velvet Panic, My Fiction Nook, Gay Media Reviews, The Novel Approach

16-Mar   Happily Ever Chapter, Hearts on Fire

23-Mar  Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Three Books Over The Rainbow

30-Mar Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, KathyMac Reviews

6-Apr Havan Fellows, Jessie G. Books

13-Apr Cathy Brockman Romances, Inked Rainbow Reads

20-Apr Divine Magazine, Prism Book Alliance

27-Apr Molly Lolly

4-May Dawn’s Reading Nook

11-May Alpha Book Club

18-May MM Good Book Reviews

25-May Louise Lyons

1-Jun Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Three separate prizes: $15 GC, A copy of Trainwreck, Saving Kane/Fourth and Long gift pack.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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