The Ultimate Romance-Erotica Book Club Guide

by MJ Nightingale

  Often in novels, foster placement is described in the lowest of terms and is often a horrible situation. I wanted to show a different type of placement, where the child is nurtured, cared for and protected from abuse. This placement doesn’t break the child, but instead heals the child. Working in the school system, I see lots of opportunities for foster placement to save a child that is coming from an abusive or neglectful environment.

  Chapter 7

  Carol’s Image (Fairfield Series, Book 3)

  by MaryAnn Jordan

  Synopsis: Beautiful ER nurse Carol Fletcher was not looking for love when she cared for detective Tom Rivers after an accident. Used to protecting her heart and focusing on her own survival, she simply did what she knew best – caring for others.

  But one look at the angel leaning over him and Tom knew she was the one. After weeks of convincing her to take a chance on him, he finally breaks through. Vowing to protect her, Tom gets her to trust him.

  Carol faces her insecurities and allows Tom into her life, including her innermost secret. Building a relationship on trust, acceptance, and love, Carol finds contentment for the first time in her life. But it is threatened when a stalker escalates his pursuit of her.

  Will Tom be able to rescue her before it is too late? Will Carol be able to pull her tattered life back together?

  A Stand-alone novel; the books in the series can be read in any order.

  For readers age 18+ due to mature subject (language, sexual situations)

  Available on Amazon

  Questions:

  1.) This book gives the background on Carol’s upbringing and brings into play her eating disorder. This is not a subject often brought into romance novels. What were your thoughts on it as you read?

  2.) Carol is described as fragile and yet strong. What does that phrase mean? Can someone be fragile and strong at the same time?

  3.) Tom wants Carol the minute he sees her leaning over him after he was hurt. Do you believe in love at first sight? Is it lust at first sight? Can lust turn into love?

  4.) Tom calls Carol “clueless”. This phrase could make some readers angry, but he explains what he means when he says it. Was Carol clueless? Did Tom explain what he meant so that you as a reader understood where he was coming from?

  5.) There are several scenes in the story where Carol is talking with her therapist. How did these scenes move the storyline along? How did they explain Carol’s history?

  6.) There is an underlying theme of emotional neglect with Carol’s upbringing. Often novels will bring about complete reunions at the end. This did not happen in Carol’s Image. Were you expecting a complete reconciliation with Carol and her parents?

  7.) When Carol and Tom run into some of his old conquests, how did Carol handle it? What thoughts ran through Tom’s mind? How would you handle it?

  8.) This story somewhat parallels Laurie’s Time. Friendships, once again, create a theme in this book as well. While Jake, Rob, and Tom have been friends since childhood, describe the friendship between Laurie and Carol?

  9.) Carol has a stalker and with Tom being a detective, this throws him into complete protective mode. Do you feel that he goes overboard? Do you feel that he did enough to protect her?

  10.) When Carol is kidnapped, she has to try to save herself, not knowing that Tom is coming to rescue her. She relies upon her own wit and strength to escape. What were your thoughts about the ending?

  Questions and Answers:

  1.) This book gives the background on Carol’s upbringing and brings into play her eating disorder. This is not a subject often brought into romance novels. What were your thoughts on it as you read?

  As a teen counselor, I have to deal with a multitude of emotional issues and problems. Eating disorders are prevalent in our society and yet are often swept under the rug. This gave me the opportunity to give these young women a voice – a chance to peek into their lives of calorie counting, binging and purging. Ultimately, it looks at how we view ourselves when we look in the mirror.

  2.) Carol is described as fragile and yet strong. What does that phrase mean? Can someone be fragile and strong at the same time?

  Carol’s fragility is one based on physicality – she is tiny in stature and emotionality – she is constantly having to work against the eating disorder. But there is a strength in her as well. She has conquered the disorder and yet knows to keep going to counseling. She is a nurse and throws herself into her job with great gusto and care.

  3.) Tom wants Carol the minute he sees her leaning over him after he was hurt. Do you believe in love at first sight? Is it lust at first sight? Can lust turn into love?

  Some reviewers don’t like love at first sight or “insta-love”. But in a romance novel, I like the idea of a man (who knows what he wants) who sees a woman and while he may have insta-lust, he quickly finds out that she is special. I like the idea of a man what will pursue a woman, change for a woman, protect a woman.

  4.) Tom calls Carol “clueless”. This phrase could make some readers angry, but he explains what he means when he says it. Was Carol clueless? Did Tom explain what he meant so that you as a reader understood where he was coming from?

  To Tom, Carol was a breath of fresh air. No games, no pretending, no pushing her agenda or her looks in his face. No pretense. She was as real as they come, but…she didn’t realize how that made her target. A target for other men to want to dominate. A target for someone wanting to stalk her. While he could have found a better phrase, remember that Tom just tells things like he sees them. Real, honest, and in your face.

  5.) There are several scenes in the story where Carol is talking with her therapist. How did these scenes move the storyline along? How did they explain Carol’s history?

  The use of dialog is a much better way of explaining history or past than just using long paragraphs. The use of the counseling scenes did several things: they offered a glimpse into Carol’s history by using her telling of past experiences; they also allowed the reader to understand that Carol knew that an eating disorder is not something that you get over…it takes years of therapy to understand and control.

  6.) There is an underlying theme of emotional neglect with Carol’s upbringing. Often novels will bring about complete reunions at the end. This did not happen in Carol’s Image. Were you expecting a complete reconciliation with Carol and her parents?

  I thought it was important to continue to establish that Carol was independent (emotionally) of her parents. They were not going to change. They did not support her and were not going to suddenly decide that they were wrong. I did include a scene where her father came to see her in the hospital, but that was going to be the closest to an admission that he could give. Carol was okay with that and she was moving on. She had escaped their image of her and she wasn’t going to go back to needing it again.

  7.) When Carol and Tom run into some of his old conquests, how did Carol handle it? What thoughts ran through Tom’s mind? How would you handle it?

  I do not write scenes of cheating, but there is a great deal of angst when a couple runs into former lover. It can be awkward, embarrassing and bring up lots of insecurities. There are a couple of scenes in this story where this occurs and for Carol it brings up unpleasant thoughts and stress. For Tom, it is embarrassing and he finds himself wanting to protect Carol.

  8.) This story somewhat parallels Laurie’s Time. Friendships, once again, create a theme in this book as well. While Jake, Rob, and Tom have been friends since childhood, describe the friendship between Laurie and Carol?

  Other than a few friends at the hospital (namely Sofia and Jon who provide comic relief), Carol does not socialize much. Having been raised by socialite parents, she prefers quiet evenings. Laurie, who we learn in Laurie’s Time, has not had time for friendship, is ripe for a girlfriend. Each having deep secrets, seek each other out and soon learn to rely on each other.

  9.) Carol has a stalker and with Tom being a detective, this throws him into c
omplete protective mode. Do you feel that he goes overboard? Do you feel that he did enough to protect her?

  Carol simply can’t believe that she is in danger until the stalking escalates to following her. Tom knows that she needs protecting but in one scene, he feels that he did not do enough and is very angry at himself for putting her at risk. He is willing to risk all for her and using everything in his resources to do just that.

  10.) When Carol is kidnapped, she has to try to save herself, not knowing that Tom is coming to rescue her. She relies upon her own wit and strength to escape. What were your thoughts about the ending?

  Carol had no idea that Tom knew quickly that she had been kidnapped and he was coordinating a police effort to rescue her. I wanted the strength to come out in Carol. She used her wit, common sense and ingenuity to escape. Granted, it only got her so far and this allowed Tom to rescue her in the end, but Carol did not just sit around waiting for someone to help her.

  Chapter 8

  For Nicky, A Torey Hope Novel Book 1

  By A.D. Ellis

  Synopsis: Elizabeth Decker views herself as shy, totally average, and pretty much insignificant. She’s nothing special, at least not compared to her little sister, Audrey. Elizabeth is content with her plain and lonely future; she’s too insecure to contemplate a relationship thanks to her sister. Audrey is a bombshell and uses this to get what she wants. She’s a girl who will stop at nothing to control anyone and everything around her. She craves power and doesn’t care if she has to hurt Elizabeth to get it.

  Nathaniel Morgan has spent his whole life fighting for his twin brother, Nicholas. Somewhere along the way, he lost himself. Now he’s just getting by. He’s devoted to his family, but emotionally detached from the women he burns through like wildfire. He has no plans of getting into something as complicated and committed as a “relationship”.

  Nicholas Morgan has placed the new librarian, Miss Elizabeth, on a pedestal and is begging her to meet his twin brother, Nathaniel. Elizabeth and Nathaniel agree to meet, for Nicky. Both are caught off-guard when unexpected sparks fly between them. This was not in their plans. Will Nathaniel and Elizabeth be able to escape a past that still plagues them? Or, will the past, suspicions, and insecurities come between them one too many times?

  **This is a contemporary new adult romance. It should only be read by ages 18+ due to adult themes and situations. This is a standalone book.

  ***Because of Beckett, A Torey Hope Novel Book 2 is also available NOW. This is Audrey’s story and can be found at bit.ly/BeckettAmazon

  Note from author: These questions came directly from other readers who enjoyed For Nicky. I thought about coming up with questions by myself, but I decided, ultimately, that my readers would probably have similar or better questions than I could come up with myself. These questions are designed to be answered once the entire book has been completed. My answers are included following the questions.

  Happy Reading!

  <3 A.D. Ellis

  Questions:

  1.) Have you ever known a person like Audrey?

  2.) Have you ever felt like Libby, not seeing your true amazingness? What changed or has anything changed for you?

  3.) This book is ultimately a love story, but also has a character (Nicky) with an intellectual disability. How did it make you feel the first time Audrey met Nicky and was so awful to him?

  4.) After reading about all the things Audrey does to hurt people, specifically her sister, do you think she is just a nasty piece of work or that she really does suffer with some type of mental illness?

  5.) Was there a better way for Nate to go about protecting Nicky instead of using violence?

  6.) Because of the way society is today, do you think ignorance still plays a part in using derogatory words when it comes to people with special needs? If so, how can we all play a part to change it?

  7.) There are a lot of similarities between Nate and Audrey, the only difference really is how they treat their siblings. Do you think that is the reason Elizabeth was so drawn to Nate initially?

  8.) Nate gave up a lot of activities and social opportunities so that Nicky wouldn’t feel left out or be picked on at these events. Do you think in some ways Nate was the one who was treating him differently (or making him feel different) in his efforts to “protect” him from others?

  9.) Libby doesn’t seem to have any super close friends or family. I'm wondering if she did have them, would it have made a difference with Audrey? Sometimes people who aren't family offer another perspective. I wonder what advice/support they might've offered.

  10.) The whole catching Audrey with Nate scene, did you see it coming? How would you have responded to that situation? What did you think about the way Libby reacted?

  Questions and Answers:

  1.) Have you ever known a person like Audrey?

  I’m a teacher so I see mean girls/bullies every day. I grew up during a time before bullying was a hot-button word, but the bullies still existed. I watched a lot of mean girls during my school days and I was the unlucky recipient of some bullying during my tween and teen years. Audrey was based on a couple different types of people I have seen during my school years and that I now see in my career. She has been traumatized, although as the reader you’re only guessing at that during For Nicky, and she has a ton of hurt and major issues, but those are hidden and she just comes across as a total bitch because that’s her survival technique. I hate that there are people like Audrey for two reasons: 1) because that means there are people who are hurting like Audrey is and 2) it means that there are victims like Nicky and Libby who are hurting at the hands of the bullies.

  2.) Have you ever felt like Libby, not seeing your true amazingness? What changed or has anything changed for you?

  I think we all have the tendency to not see our amazingness. My friends and family will tell me that I’m an awesome teacher or a fabulous mom or amazing for publishing a book and it’s sometimes hard to see all of that because I’m in the midst of living it rather than on the outside looking in. I think that’s maybe how Libby is; she doesn’t see her amazingness because she’s living it rather than seeing it from the outside. I also think that Libby spends so much time trying to protect herself from the hurt that Audrey brings that she just doesn’t have the time or the energy to see her amazingness. And maybe she doesn’t want to look for the amazingness because the second she finds it, Audrey bashes it to smithereens. I will say that, as I get older and more confident in myself and less concerned about what others think of me or don’t think of me, I am more able to find certain things about me that I consider amazing.

  3.) This book is ultimately a love story, but also has a character (Nicky) with an intellectual disability. How did it make you feel the first time Audrey met Nicky and was so awful to him?

  I hated Audrey throughout the book, but the way she treats Nicky is one of the things that makes me hate her the most. I do know a lot of people who are very uncomfortable around people with intellectual or physical disabilities; but I can’t stand when that uncomfortableness takes the form of making fun of a person or purposely hurting them. Sadly, I see this a lot. It’s ok to be uncomfortable around a disability, or anything you’re not familiar with for that matter; it’s NOT ok to hurt another person in order to make yourself feel better. I really love how Nicky teaches Audrey to challenge herself and treat others better. Audrey had to be willing to work on it, but I love that Nicky is the type of person that you can’t help but love once you get to know him.

  4.) After reading about all the things Audrey does to hurt people, specifically her sister, do you think she is just a nasty piece of work or that she really does suffer with some type of mental illness?

  Audrey was not written with a mental illness in mind, but I’ve heard a couple people say they thought she had something seriously wrong with her throughout the book. And, I can tell you now since the second book is being written as I’m answering these questions, that Audrey doesn’t have
a mental illness but she does have a serious trauma in her past which has led to her behaviors. In a way, although not diagnosed as a mental illness, I feel that what happened to her in the past was enough to give her some actual mental issues. What she suffers from is an addiction and her therapy sessions will work on getting her to own the addiction and how to cope with it.

  5.) Was there a better way for Nate to go about protecting Nicky instead of using violence?

  I think a lot of people, men especially, think that violence is the only way to get a point across. They don’t know how to sit and talk through something calmly or how to redirect that anger. When Nate went to therapy, it was very helpful for him to see that the reason he uses anger and violence is because it’s one of the things he actually feels like he can control. Yes, I think Nate could have (and now WILL) work to protect Nicky without the violence.

  6.) Because of the way society is today, do you think ignorance still plays a part in using derogatory words when it comes to people with special needs? If so, how can we all play a part to change it?

  I wish that people who use the word “retard” or “retarded” (there are others, but those come to mind the most) could live a few days in the lives of a person with a disability or a family member of a person with a disability. I think if they could do this they would realize just how deep that word cuts and how painful it can be. When people use those words, they are saying something is stupid or worthless or bad…..is that what a person with a disability is? Because, I guarantee, when a person with a disability or their family/friends hear that word, it’s what they feel. They feel that the speaker is saying that they are less than human, worthless, stupid, bad. I didn’t set out to “teach a lesson” when I wrote this book, but I’m glad that it’s reaching people. Personally, when I hear someone say derogatory words (or even normal words used in derogatory ways) I always try to step in and say something along the lines of, “Please don’t use that word, it’s so hurtful and derogatory.” www.r-word.org is a really good resource to refer to on this subject.