Good morning, Readers!
Sorry this is late. It was a long weekend just past in Canada, and I hadn't properly accounted for the time. Which is actually a good thing, because I just read the first ever review of The Timbercreek Incident, and I really want to talk about it.
First, it's a great review. Really, really thorough, which I appreciate very much (thank you K.J!). Also, it is by one of my Ko-Fi subscribers, so bear that in mind while reading it. It reads as very honest to me, which is nice.
Let me get a couple of things out of the way; I know a lot of authors grumble about reviews that are lower than a four or five (out of five). I am not one. I think 3.5 is a great score, especially for a story like this, which was just meant to be a bit of fun I shared with everyone. Honestly, I think that it's just about the right score for the story. So please believe me when I say that I am absolutely thrilled with the review; more especially because it was to detailed. That will really help other readers to avoid or pick up the book as they wish. You can read it in full here if you're interested.
I did want to talk specifically about the final part of the review - the note about the singular sex scene in the book. It's quoted below in case you don't want to click through to the review.
"There is one sex scene in this novel. It performs a dual function as a love scene and a therapy scene, which is an unusual choice on the author's part. While moderately explicit, there's nothing disturbing in it. However, it should be noted that while it is written from the masculine perspective, it functions in the female perceptual format. As a result, female readers will probably connect with the scene well and recognize the event beats in it, but male readers may find themselves slightly alienated by the scene not aligning with their own experiences. Mileage may vary."
First, this is an excellent assessment of the scene, I think. Funnily enough, one of my beta readers sent me this note about that same scene:
"I'm sure you had a great time writing a PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR SEX SCENE. Jesus fucking Christ I was crying Sonia. CRYING. DURING A SEX SCENE. Fuck my life... I hated this scene *so* much... sex is supposed to be intimate but NOT LIKE THAT. And not in a way that drives people to therapy... This part of the book is supposed to be the reprieve for all the shit happening and you turned it into a piece of warfare on the reader. JESUS."
Which, as you can imagine, pleased me greatly. I did have a bit of a chuckle after reading that particular piece of feedback. Sorry!
Anyway, I want to talk specifically about the note that the scene functions in the "female perceptual format"...
Uh-huh. Yep. Entirely accurate. They nailed it. This scene is for the girlies. It's the fantasy of having a lover so desirous of you that they lose themselves in you for a moment. But I think this one is also for the boys... or a certain kind of boy, I guess.
Its every bit as much about the surrender as anything else. Sebastian must always be in control. Lives have depended on it. He's never been able to not be in charge. And beyond this, his various traumas beginning from childhood have ingrained in him the idea that he is worthless, unlovable, and absolute monster. He's exhausted; absolutely worn thin from it all. And here is a woman who can take the lead; at least in this instance. Here is a woman that sees the scars, both physical and mental, and choses to love him all the same. She is his safe space, somewhere where his natural inclination towards gentleness can be indulged without fear of failure or pain, where the manufactured monster in him doesn't have to rise to save his skin. For the first time in his life he can let go. He can surrender. For someone craving a softness he has never known, he never really stood a chance here. He surrendered, and gladly.
I can absolute see why that would be appealing for the girls (though apparently, not my second beta reader). But I honestly hope it can be for the boys as well. Being a girl myself, though, I haven't the foggiest. That's entirely for the boys to decide. I'd be really interested in hearing their perspective.
If your interest is piqued (look at me marketing! Be proud), you can download the eBook now (links here). The paperback will be available for pre-order soon(ish... I hope).
Right, I have to go and do things now. If you've read the book, let me know your thinky-thoughts in the comments.
Slán go foill!
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