I knew Heidi wouldn’t be a virgin—I hate stories where the hero has bedded anything on two legs, but the heroine’s been saving herself for him all along. Heidi was not the type of girl to tolerate that. You might be interested to know that I fully intended for Murphy and Heidi to have sex in that opening scene. However, when it came time to write it, Heidi said, fuck no and the phone rang.
Some authors claim their characters do not influence the story, that they, the author, direct every action their character makes. I am not one of those. Any time I’ve tried to force events, it comes out flat and stilted. My characters frequently decide to do whatever the fuck they want no matter what vague outline I’ve sketched out. That’s part of what makes this fun for me. It’s the same reason I stopped worrying about molding my writing to the romance “norm” of a rising conflict, black moment at the seventy-five percent mark, etc. I don’t write that way. It’s boring to me. I finally stopped trying (in fact I recently walked out of a workshop on conflict, because it was doing me no good. Life is too short to feel bad about myself.) A lot of you love my books for my characters. Some readers seem confused/disappointed by my lack of conflict. That’s okay. I have enough people at this point who have told me they’ve read the entire series over the course of a week to be comfortable with my style.
I enjoy the developing background MC story. Yes, I focus on the romance, but I also enjoy the MC culture and even though it is romanticized, I hope I do it justice. I had the opportunity to sit down with a few bikers recently and felt pretty confident that my series is more realistic than people think in certain respects. Highly romanticized in others.
I had fun with More Than Miles. Tattered stressed me out greatly, because it was difficult to write. I agonized over and wrote from scratch every piece that was included in Tattered only to be accused of “copy and pasting” from the first three books. My readers who “got” Tattered and loved Wrath and Trinity—thank you! I absolutely loved White Heat, even though I knew it probably wouldn’t sell well, because I believed in the story and felt it needed to be told. That my readers seemed to love White Heat as much as I did helped make up for the lack of sales.
Knowing how much pressure those two books put on me for their individual reasons, Mr. Lake asked me to slow down and take my time writing More Than Miles. He knew what a long, complicated story it was turning into. He wanted me to go back to when I started working on Slow Burn, and it was just pure fun for me. Unfortunately, because I am also a horrible procrastinator, I do have to set a firm deadline at some point. I enjoyed my time with Murphy. I even wrote an epilogue! Something I swore I’d never write (sorry, Vanessa!) because I normally don’t like reading them in other books.
At one point, I thought about scrapping Alaska all together, making it a simpler story, but I knew I’d hate myself if I took the easy way out.
The story evolved from many conversations with my crit partners. Hours of discussion with Mr. Lake (who was #TeamAxel from the beginning and not happy about Axel’s demise.)I knew Axel wasn’t patching into the club, but how or why? Some people suggested he could be a traitor working for a rival MC, but that felt too cliche. And although he wasn’t right for Heidi, deep down he wasn’t a disloyal person.
Axel and Heidi just weren’t right for each other. They made mistakes that I think many young couples make, especially when they have poor role models. I could have gone the route that Axel was abusive, and at a certain point, I realized I might be sending that signal (although that wasn’t my intention.) Two people can grow apart or just not be right for each other without either of them having to be the “bad guy.” I don’t think it was wrong for Axel to not want to be a father at twenty years old. He tried to step up, but he also wanted to follow his dreams. Both of them kept trying to do the right thing because neither wanted to admit they weren’t right for each other.
Did Axel have to die? Some of my followers may have noticed I backed off the #TeamMurphy/#TeamAxel thing at a certain point. It just seemed cruel once I knew he wasn’t going to survive the book. I worried about his death seeming like a cop-out and discussed alternatives at length with…just about everyone. In the end, I felt it would really suck if Heidi and Murphy went through all of that just to have Axel lingering in the background. He’d always be in their lives because of Alexa, and I didn’t think that was fair to Heidi and Murphy. Honestly, I also loved the irony of him being killed by the job he loved more than his family. It just felt “right” to have him go. Sorry, Axel. I think it was clear, Heidi and Murphy would have ended up together whether Axel lived or died. It’s why I chose not to “show” any sex between Heidi/Axel or Murphy/anyone else. I already did it in Tattered, and it didn’t feel necessary here.
I jokingly called this the “murder book” at one point. Bull died…I wasn’t planning on that. Mariella…poor Mariella. I swear my intention was never to fridge her. There was a point that I planned for her to end up with Teller, but like I said, when I make plans, my characters rebel.
At a certain point, I realized this was really Murphy’s book. He spoke to me the loudest. He was so conflicted, so much softer at heart than I realized. I love him dearly and boy did he make me cry at times. I cried for the lonely little boy who thought no girl would ever like him, to the teenager and young man who ended up with more girls than he knew what to do with, to the man who was convinced there was only one girl he ever wanted. I loved his surprise at not knowing who Heidi really was. He loved her. He’d been there for her since she was little. But at a certain point, he had to keep his distance, so it meant he missed knowing who she was a person. Once he figures it out he loves her even more. As it should be. His unconditional love and acceptance of her daughter was also one of my favorite pieces of his personality.
Another favorite part of mine was Heidi’s bossiness in bed. I realize that some people will take Murphy’s reaction/thoughts as “un-alpha” or something stupid like that. But his reaction made sense. I hate books where the manwhoring hero is some sex expert (Except for Wrath, because it was a point of pride for him) and the girl comes in 5.2 seconds of him getting near her. I think the more likely scenario when a guy has girls willing to service him whenever/however, is that he takes and doesn’t bother to give back (feel free to send me your differing opinions on this). Plus, Murphy’s still young and has never had a serious relationship. Of course, he rises to the occasion, and revels in figuring Heidi out (a very alpha thing to do in my opinion) otherwise he wouldn’t be a romance hero.
I loved Heidi’s growth throughout the whole series. I knew she had a bad background. She was bratty but not for the reasons people assumed. I loved seeing her go from insecure to confident. As my crit partners, Kari, and Virginia assured me “nothing makes you grow up faster than having children.” I think Heidi turned out okay. I loved how she grew to realize what mattered and what didn’t. Some people won’t agree with her mending fences with Trinity, but I thought it was the logical, mature thing to do.
Those of you who have asked for more Hope and Rock, I hope you loved seeing them in More Than Miles. I knew they’d be a big part of it because Heidi would go to them when she had nowhere else.
Next, I plan for Wrath and Trinity to have their wedding. Someone shot at his gym, after all, so you know Wrath has some thoughts on that. I then planned for Z’s book to be next, but during More Than Miles, Teller became such a strong character, my betas were dying for his story. I think I know who he ends up with. You’ve actually met this person in previous books.
If you read Between Embers, you realize I’m very aware of what all my secondary characters are up to. Maybe too aware you might think. What the heck was Z up to? I know what he’s been up to. Are you wondering who Grace and Chance are? Will it surprise you if I say I know? What was Rock so distracted about at the end? Now that I don’t know. Rock was tight-lipped through this book. My crit partner, Kari says it’s because he’s an uber-alpha and didn’t like the story not being about him. I think I agree with h
er assessment.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few of my long-time readers this year. I’ve enjoyed meeting new readers as well and hope to make it to more signings and events in the future. Thank you to the readers who grilled me about who Heidi would end up with, it felt surreal to meet people who care about my characters as much as I do.
While writing More Than Miles was fun, as some of you know, at the start of the editing process, my beloved Pug passed away. It was unexpected and absolutely shattered me. Mr. Lake and I have a lot of people in our lives of the “it’s just a dog, get over it” variety. The love and sympathy that friends and strangers expressed during this time meant a lot.
Thank you.
Much love.
Autumn
To be notified when new books are available for pre-order;
Sign up for my newsletter.
Follow me on Amazon.
Follow me on Book Bub.
Goodreads
Slow Burn (Lost Kings MC, #1)
Forced to represent an outlaw biker, a married attorney must come to terms with her feelings for her client while avoiding the danger he brings into her sedate life.
Corrupting Cinderella (Lost Kings MC, #2)
Love is the ultimate outlaw.
Although widowed attorney Hope Kendall cares deeply for President of the Lost Kings MC, Rochlan “Rock” North, the truth is they come from completely different worlds. Add to that the fact that they are also both headstrong people, and they have a very rough road ahead of them.
Real love isn’t a fairy tale.
For Rock, that means introducing Hope to what it really means to be part of his brutal and shady world, where the Lost Kings Motorcycle Club is his main focus. For Hope, it means accepting the things she can’t change, and understanding that Rock is a man who will do anything to keep her safe.
Love doesn’t follow any rules.
As Rock continues to draw Hope deeper into his world, painful misunderstandings, past relationships, and opposition from the members of his club will threaten to drive them apart.
How do a lawyer and a badass biker with a heart of gold keep their love alive while their opposing worlds collide?
Three Kings, One Night (Lost Kings MC #2.5)
A collection of three short holiday stories set in the Lost Kings MC world.
Heidi and Murphy.
Wrath and Trinity.
Z and Lilly.
Strength From Loyalty (Lost Kings MC, #3)
As a dark cloud descends over Hope and Rock’s already precarious future, will a long-hidden secret push them both past the point of no return?
Tattered on My Sleeve (Lost Kings MC #4)
Wrath & Trinity
I had her first.
I fell in love with her.
Then we fucked everything up.
Warning: Tattered on My Sleeve is not a “typical” romance. It’s not even a typical MC Romance.
Lust.
Eight years ago, the Lost Kings, MC was recovering from turmoil within the club Wrath and Trinity met. Their connection was instant and explosive.
Fury.
Wrath and Trinity’s story is a heart-breaking, soul-crushing, tear-your-heart-into-pieces story. The way they hurt each other over the years is intense, raw, frustrating and sometimes dark.
Forgiveness.
Can they move past their horrible pasts to become better people and ultimately forgive each other?
They’ve wasted too many years. Once Wrath learns the dark secret that’s been fueling Trinity for years, he’ll stop at nothing to prove they’re meant to be together and that she’s worthy of the love she keeps denying.
*While there is technically no cheating in Tattered on my Sleeve, Wrath and Trinity’s journey to love takes a much different route than Rock and Hope’s.
White Heat (Lost Kings MC #5)
Rock & Hope, Wrath & Trinity
The queen always protects her king.
For straight-laced attorney, Hope Kendall, loving an outlaw has never been easy. New challenges test her loyalty as she discovers how far she’s willing to go to protect her man.
If you have hope, you have everything.
MC President, Rochlan “Rock” North finally has everything he’s ever wanted. Hope as his ol’ lady and his MC earning money while staying out of trouble. The only thing left is to make Hope his wife. But as their wedding day nears, an old adversary threatens Rock’s freedom, the wedding, and throws the Lost Kings MC into chaos.
Love makes the ride worthwhile.
While the club waits for Rock’s fate to be decided, Wrath has to balance solidifying his new relationship with Trinity and fulfilling his president’s orders.
Loyalty gives an outlaw strength.
Threats from unexpected places will challenge every member, but in the Lost Kings MC, brotherhood isn’t about the blood you share. It’s about those who are willing to bleed for you.
Between Embers (Lost Kings MC #5.5)
This collection of short stories is intended to be a fun, companion to White Heat. If you were wondering what the other guys were up to during Rock and Hope’s wedding, here’s your chance to find out.
Short stories include:
Teller
Murphy
Z
More Than Miles (Lost Kings MC #6)
Sometimes the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.
Blake “Murphy” O’Callaghan, Road Captain of the Lost Kings MC, has the world by the balls. Money. Women. The wide-open road. It’s all his, everything he wants…except the one girl he loves, the one girl who’s off limits. His best friend’s little sister, Heidi.
Abandoned by her mother when she was only eight, Heidi Whelan’s familiar with heartbreak. Especially the heartbreak of falling in love with her big brother’s best friend. When Murphy pushed her away, it broke her heart. Now, on her eighteenth birthday, he claims he loves her? Growing up around the Lost Kings MC, Heidi’s witnessed his manwhoring ways. He’ll never give that up for her. Besides, he’s too late: Heidi’s in love with her high-school boyfriend Axel.
Axel Ryan loves two things—motorcycles and Heidi. He signed up to be a prospect for the Lost Kings MC because it seemed like a fun way to get closer to her. Now that he’s gotten a taste of MC life, he’s not so sure this is where he belongs. He’s confident Heidi shares his dreams for the future, so even if he chooses another road, their relationship will survive the detour.
With more than miles between them, will the deceptions they’ve lived with for so long be too much to overcome? Can Murphy convince Heidi that the hard roads they’ve traveled will lead to the most beautiful destination of all, or is he destined to ride the open road alone?
Kickstart My Heart (MC Meets Mob #1)
Included in the 80’s Mix Tape anthology
Setting: Los Angeles, 1989
A fledgling actress and the son of an MC President who wants to be a rock star.
Little do either of them know how much they actually have in common.
*Has a slight connection to The Lost Kings MC Series.
Coming Soon
Objection
White Knuckles (Lost Kings MC #6.5)
Teller’s Book (not yet titled) (Lost Kings MC #7)
After Burn (Lost Kings MC #7.5)
Zero Tolerance (Lost Kings MC #8)
Autumn prefers to write her romances on the classy side of dirty, and she’s a sucker for a filthy-talking, demanding alpha male hero. The bigger the better. She believes true love stories never end.
Her past lives include baking cookies, slinging shoes, and practicing law. She’s an active member of her local chapter of Romance Writers of America.
Autumn was born and raised in upstate New York. She still enjoys all four seasons there with her very own alpha hero and their dogs.
You can easily find Autumn on Facebook, but she also always loves to hear from readers at:
[email protected].
Sign-up for her newsletter here
Visit Autumn here:
www.autumnjoneslake.com
Facebook
If you’re interested in learning more about Romeo, the president at the club Murphy and Dex visited, here is an excerpt of his story, Vexed (Iron Bulls MC #4) by Phoenyx Slaughter.
Copyright 2016 Phoenyx Slaughter
About Vexed (Iron Bulls MC #4)
by Phoenyx Slaughter
Falling in love will only leave you vexed.
Recent high school graduate, Athena Vale, might seem bubbly and uncomplicated, but she has big plans and even bigger dreams, she’s only ever shared with her best friend, Karina. Athena’s strict upbringing has left her curious about taking a walk on the wild side—just once. And she knows exactly who she wants to go wild with.
President of the Iron Bulls MC, Reed “Romeo” Crownover has no shortage of women willing to entertain him. But these days, there’s only one girl on his mind—Athena. When she shows up at his clubhouse on the night of her eighteenth birthday, he decides it’s time to work her out of his system.
More Than Miles (A Lost Kings MC Novel) Page 43