The Victorian East End lives in fear of the Ripper and his mission to kill rent boys. Silas Hawkins, nineteen and forging a life on the streets could well be the next victim, but when he meets Archer, his life changes forever. Young, attractive and rich, Archer is Viscount Clearwater, a philanthropist, adventurer and homosexual.
When Archer suspects the Ripper is killing to lure him to a confrontation, he risks his reputation and his life to stop the madman’s murders. Every man must play his part, including Silas.
A mashup of mystery, romance and adventure, Deviant Desire is set in an imaginary London of 1888. The first in an on-going series, it takes the theme of loyalty and friendship in a world where homosexuality is a crime. Secrets must be kept, lovers must be protected, and for Archer and Silas, it marks the start of their biggest adventure – love.
The premise for Deviant Desire is, ‘What if Jack the Ripper killed rent boys, not female prostitutes?’ At least, that’s where I started. The city in which the story is set is never referred to as London, and the Ripper is only called ‘The Ripper’ not Jack, so it should be clear to the reader that I am not retelling history, but reinventing it. The novel is just that; novel.
I chose this theme (darker than my usual themes) because I have always had an interest in the murders and the mystery surrounding them. I’ve read countless books on the what might have happened, who it might have been and what did actually occur and never been convinced that anyone has the definitive answer. I lived in the East End of London for 12 years, not far from Whitechapel and I know the area well, as it is now, of course, not as it was in 1888. Maybe that’s where my Ripper interest came from. Maybe it was because no-one knows the truth and probably never will, or perhaps it’s just because I like a conspiracy theory. I don’t know, I just thought it would be interesting to invent my own story based in the area, at that time, nod to the original events but make my main characters gay.
To ensure I didn’t annoy Ripperologists, I have tried to make it obvious we are in our own parallel universe, hence not calling London by its name and changing some place names, such as Whitechapel which becomes Greychurch. I’m not proposing my own Ripper theory here, and the change in names should make that evident to the reader. Having said that, I have tried to be as historically accurate with the way of life, terminology, language and character behaviour to fit with the period (1888). And, having said that, I have dropped in some very subtle references to the original events which students of the Ripper might enjoy noticing, or not. You might call it a classic telling, or you might call it a clichéd telling, but it’s a time-honoured theme of good Vs evil, and I hope, just when you think you know what’s about to happen because it always does in stories like this, it doesn’t.
Deviant Desire is also a love story, but, being me, I don’t just write love stories. In fact, I can’t seem to put a story down on paper without there being some mystery and some action, and that’s why I go for mashups. In Deviant Desire, you will find a mystery, a love story, some humour, intrigue and adventure with an action story where everything combines at a climax. When writing it, I realised that it was not going to be a standalone story and I wanted the characters to exist beyond it. That’s why I am now working on part two, which will be out before the end of May 2019. The Ripper story never has been completed, and neither has it here, except you will know who the murderer is and the mystery is resolved in book one, the love story established and underway, and the cast ready to develop as they head towards a part-two adventure that’s a continuation but a separate mystery.
There are other reasons for setting a story in 1888, and after. New legislation had been introduced in an attempt to curb the rise in male prostitution at the time, and all forms of homosexuality were made illegal. (Until then, it was only certain acts.) These laws were not altered until nearly 100 years later. This means, my characters must exist within a world of hate, repression and discrimination. Every person born gay was born a criminal. That immediately cages the characters but also gives them something in common. I have created my own world, and that’s why around 80% of my characters in these stories are gay, heroes and villains alike.
Jack the Ripper was the inspiration for the action story, and love across the classes the inspiration for the love story, but fact has inspired fiction. You won’t find the ultimate answer to who the Ripper was, Deviant Desire is not about that, but hopefully, you will find an exciting and compelling read and want to continue to book two, Twisted Tracks when it comes out in May.
Jackson is giving away a paperback copy (US/Canada) or eBook copy (everywhere else) of “The Stoker Connection” with this tour. For a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter:
They were led into a short passage of closed doors, past a hatstand and into a cavern. At least, that’s what it felt like. The ceiling was arched and high, and the walls tiled. The far wall was taken up by a recess that housed a fireplace and ovens, a row of barred windows lined the top of another and beneath these stood huge dressers displaying pans that glinted the colour of Thomas’ hair. It was all set around a massive table with a central avenue of jars lined regimentally from one end to the other. It was hard not to swear in awe, and it suddenly occurred to Silas that he was warm. It was the first time in weeks.
He was made to wash his hands in a sink and do what he could to tidy his face and hair while Thomas stood over him and Fecks waited for his turn. It took Silas a full five minutes to scrape the crud from beneath his fingernails. Luckily for him, the kitchen smelt of pie and herbs, and it masked the smell of his clothes. He was grateful that he’d not been made to take his shoes off.
Thomas gave Fecks instructions to wash and wait at the table before he beckoned Silas to follow him through to another room.
‘You pissed off with me, Tommy?’ Silas asked, when they were alone in the servants’ hall.
‘Do not speak until you are…’
‘Yeah, I heard you.’
Silas helped himself to a chair at another long, worn table, but Thomas told him to stay standing facing a passageway and a staircase.
‘I thought we got along fine last night,’ Silas said, doing as he was told, but choosing to stand directly beside Thomas and close.
‘Be quiet.’ Thomas took a step forward and away.
‘Your dick was happy to say hello.’
‘I said, be quiet.’ It was more of a hiss than a sentence.
‘Why you being mean to me, Tommy?’ Silas inched closer.
‘Please, shut up.’ Thomas took another step.
Silas caught up. ‘At this rate we’ll be in the front garden by the time you tell me what’s pissing you off. Is it ‘cos you fancy me?’
‘Be quiet.’
‘Or is it ‘cos you find my kind… What was the word? Disgusting.’
‘Stop it,’ Thomas insisted. ‘Now kindly…’ He was interrupted by a sensation completely new to him and gasped. ‘Get your hand off my backside.’
‘Want it on your cock instead?’
Silas slid his hand towards the front of Thomas’ trousers, but the footman turned on him, grabbed him by the throat and held him against the sideboard, rattling crockery.
‘What are you playing at?’ Thomas whispered through gritted teeth.
Unconcerned by the hold Thomas had, Silas grinned. A swift kneeing and the man would be in agony, but instead of raising his leg, he raised his hand and cupped Thomas’ crotch.
The footman’s green eyes bored into him, and their anger intensified.
‘Why are you doing this?’ Thomas pleaded. His cock was hardening, his cheeks flaming, and his grip tightened.
‘What do you want?’ Silas leered.
He searched Thomas’ face, but found no answer. He didn’t want to hurt the man, he just wanted to know where he stood, but there was only one way out. Silas pulled Thomas to him by his cock and pressed their mouths together with a clash of teeth.
‘Oh.’ Fecker appeared in the doorway. ‘I hear noise, but it is only you fucking.’
Thomas immediately released Silas and pushed himself away. He straightened his hair and wrestled with the front of his trousers.
‘You safe, Banyak?’ the Ukrainian asked.
‘Go on with you, I’m fine,’ Silas said, gasping for air as he stared hard at Thomas.
‘I wait in here.’ Fecker returned to the kitchen and Thomas returned to being a footman.
‘You are His Lordship’s guest,’ he said with great restraint. ‘You will not behave like that again.’
‘Thought you’d like it, Tommy.’
‘And stop calling me that, you guttersnipe.’
Whatever Silas had been trying to achieve, he forgot about it when footsteps overhead suggested Fecks had intervened just in time. Sexually charged though he was, Silas stood behind Thomas and left him alone. It was only fair.
Whoever was coming was taking their time, and the footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs where a muffled discussion took place. It gave Silas time to clear his thoughts, but it was in vain. He couldn’t move them on from Thomas, what had just happened and how it left him trembling. Where had the need to kiss him come from? He thought that he had picked up from Thomas a possibility of something new, perhaps something physical that was outside his normal boundary of sex for money. Thomas had potential for… for what?
Silas was confused. Maybe he wanted more than sex, but he had Fecks for companionship, he didn’t need anything else. Thomas was someone new, an unknown quantity and gave an impression of being amenable to Silas’ advances, but what did that all mean? What was this incomprehensible longing gnawing his insides? It wasn’t just physical attraction to other men, it went deeper and was disturbing. The conundrum occupied him until the mumbling upstairs stopped, and Thomas stood to attention as the viscount entered.
The click of the footman’s heels broke Silas’ thoughts and he looked up into the eyes of the most striking man he had ever seen. At that moment, knew his life would never be the same.
At the moment I am concentrating on two genres: older/younger MM romance, and youth mysteries with early 20s main characters and a love story included.
I live on a Greek island with my husband. My interests outside of writing and reading are outdoor pursuits, traveling, piano and genealogy. That’s probably why my books tend to involve characters who are musicians, writers, mystery-solvers and rock climbers; there’s a bit of me in every one.
Author Website: www.jacksonmarsh.com
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This sounds promising!! Thank you
Thank you for sharing how the story came about and for the excerpt!