Author Michele Micheal Rakes is here with us today at Love Bytes with her blog tor for her book Trainwreck.
Welcome to the blog, Michele!
Author Name: Michele Micheal Rakes
Book Name: Trainwreck
Series: Trainwreck #1
Release Date: January 25, 2016
Pages or Words: 374 pages
Publisher: Michele Micheal Rakes
Cover Artist: Drai Bearwomyn
Cover Photography by Dan Skinner
Editing: Tina Adamski
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.
Categories: BDSM, Bisexual, Crime Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance, Thriller
Today I’m very happy to be interviewing Michele Micheal “Mikey” Rakes author of Trainwreck the series. Hi Mikey, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
I’m a surgical technologist, who has decided to take a break from doctors, and I’ve gone back to building windows. I love building windows because each day is a challenge. I wish I had more time to write, but my husband wants me to eventually write full time. My wife, who recently passed (October 30th, 2015) thought I was wasting my talents on the doctors. She loved Trainwreck. Thought it was a wild ride. She wanted Vince on his Harley for the cover. The fact that it was such a long book didn’t faze her, but I decided it would be easier to digest if I broke it up into parts.
Trainwreck is about a man who is simply put: a trainwreck. His life is a disaster. His daughter is dead, his marriage in limbo, and the one man who he suspects he might be able to give up all control to, won’t take him back. As the book starts, it’s the eve of his return to work after a nearly two year hiatus following a thinly veiled suicide attempt on his motorcycle. Still under investigation for events that occurred on a narcotics bust the night his daughter died in a car accident, his boss puts him in charge of a homicide case for one of the other districts. A way to get him working, but keep him from having anything to do with narcotics for the time being. That’s when things go really south for Vince. He hates homicide and the fact the victim reminds him of himself sends Vince on a self-destructive hunt into the dark world he used to live in to find a killer. He struggles along the way with his own sexual proclivities and tries hard to deny who he really is, inside or outside the closet. The investigation brings him full circle with his childhood and with the man who almost made him understand love and safety.
Character interview Detective Sgt. Vincent Sweetwater of the LAPD.
What’s your job like?
It’s crazy and depressing at times. I don’t want to do anything else, though. Just want to get the drugs off the street. I can’t stop everyone, but I’ll do anything I can to make a strong case for the courts. My work was mostly undercover. Lieutenant Hanson oversees my unit, but I run things, or at least I did. Things are different now. I’m working homicide. I hate dead bodies. They make me want to vomit. This kid right now, she was young and beautiful. Some bastard tortured her to death. I hate homicide, but I hate this guy more. I’m gonna find him. Not sure there’ll be a strong case for this guy…might not be a lot of him left…I’ve nothing to lose anymore. I’ve already lost everything.
Would you rather be respected or feared? Why?
Ha! That’s a funny question. I’m already respected and feared. What’s next? I’m fine with it, but there’s one man who knows how to handle me. Greg’s been through a lot, like me, and I can’t bring my problems to his door. I try to see him, but he denies me. He pushed me away after his lover, Grayson, died. I need him, though. I don’t know how to get through to him. Hell, I don’t know how to get through to myself. Greg’s not afraid of me, but he does respect me. My underlings, though, man they better fear me. Yeah, their fear is all fun and games. I miss working narcotics. I miss my guys.
What’s your favorite book?
I don’t read. Yeah, I read just enough to get through the reports at work. My dyslexia has made reading not fun. Hehehe, Mica likes to read trashy romance novels to me. It’s hard to get through them…when the sex scenes come around it’s all over. See, sex is like an addiction for me. Funny, I put away drug dealers who feed on people’s addictions, but the evil bitch who feeds on my addiction, I keep going back for more. Despite how horrible I feel when it’s all over. Despite how dangerous she really is…I think someday she might actually kill me.
If you could go anywhere, all expenses paid, where would you go?
Greg’s dungeon. I’m simple. I don’t want to travel or I’d left this hell hole long ago. I want Greg. I want Greg to want me again. I want Greg to teach Mica how to truly dominate me. To tell her the things that make me tick, so I don’t have to say what’s in my heart.
Shit, isn’t that what I’ve been doing? I’ve talked more to you than I have my therapist. I usually don’t talk this much. In fact, instead of talking, I would’ve seduced you, fucked, and been outta of my head with guilt by now. Lucky for you, Mikey’s in control right now. Um, I like the thrill of the bust. Taking down bad guys helps to atone for my own bad behavior. My foster brother, Nicko, is my partner at work. He’s been in my shadow since I first darkened his doorway when I was thirteen years old. Mica is also a foster baby. Her and Nick are like two peas in a pod. They’re the same age. I spent a lot of time keeping them safe. They spent a lot of time getting me in trouble with Momma Sarafino. Bitches. I married Mica when we were just out of the police academy. We already covered that I’m a slut. Um, well, I also like to be dominated by Greg, but that life is over. I miss him. I miss Grayson, too.
Vincent Sweetwater twisted the Harley’s throttle. The power in the motor thrummed between his legs. The bike seemed heavy, angry; like she wanted to fall flat on her face. Like she yearned to drag him across the gritty asphalt. Vince needed to feel the pavement shred his clothing and bite into his skin. Punishment for being a man who thrived on suffering.
Why can’t I control myself, damn it?
–You’re supposed to be one of the good guys.
Fuck off.
-Stop drinking, Sweetwater.
Vince envisioned choking the life out of his conscience. The damn thing made it difficult to be an asshole, yet somehow he didn’t let it stop him. Nothing stopped him from being a dick to his wife. Vince squeezed the throttle. The speed would numb his mind.
The machine growled beneath him, giving her two fucking cents, and he ignored the wanton slut. Vince was too malicious to give her what she craved. If he did, there would be no turning back.
Still, the iron bitch demanded more power. Urged by a quiet whisper from somewhere in the darkness of his mind, Vince let off the throttle long enough to grasp the clutch and toe it into sixth.
Buy the book:
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:
Twitter: @MicheleRakes
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
Rafflecopter Prize: Three separate prizes: $15 GC, A copy of Trainwreck, Saving Kane/Fourth and Long gift pack.
Hey there Michael. This book sounds awesome and I appreciated the excerpt.
Thank you so much, sorry for the delay in responding.
I’m intrigued. Thank you for this post and chance for a giveaway! Adding this to my TBR shelf. 🙂
You’re welcome. Good luck with the giveaway.
Hello Michele! Thanks for the giveaway!
Hi, Michele! Good luck with the release…
Hi Michele! Congrats on the release and thanks for the post.
Sounds like a different kind of book. Definitely not a formula type book. I’m always looking for one of those.
Now this sounds so intriguing, can’t wait to read this.
congrats on your new release Michelle
Michele-all the best to you!
Hi Michele! This sounds story sounds heavy and full of substance. Congratulations on the release.
Thanks everyone! I’m glad you’re all intrigued by Vince. He’s a unique guy. Hopefully, Trainwreck breaks the mold of the typical romance. Unfortunately, I had to push back the release of Book Two, but it’ll be out soon. Mid-March, I’m thinking.
Wow, the book sounds intriguing!
OMG, this looks so good–love a dark story with an intense heat-factor.
Dark stories are my favorites. Just so folks know, this is a polyamorous romance, but there is a lot of male on male action as the story progresses.
This book looks super intense!
Vince is an intense kind of guy. The boy really needs a break soon!
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