Rules to Follow
Davey’s Rules Series, Book 1
Susan Hawke
M/M Romance – Daddy/boy
Release Date: 07.14.19
Blurb
Davey’s Rule #86: A good Daddy will never lie to his boy… even by omission.
Travis Miller has a pretty solid life in the small California beach town he calls home. He’s working his way up in the district attorney’s office, he owns a home with an ocean view, and he has close ties with his family. Life is good. If only he could find a sweet boy to call his own, life would be… perfect.
Adam Nichols’ life has never been easy. Growing up in foster care taught him to be strong, so finding himself in a violent relationship was a shock. Now that he’s finally free of it, he faces new problems. He’s jobless, homeless, and terrified of starting from scratch.
With a little help from an old friend, Adam discovers a whole new world. He goes from rock bottom to renting a room from a hot assistant DA and working at Daddy’s Lap, a kink club that opens his vanilla eyes to things he’d never imagined. His new roommate is a balm to Adam’s damaged soul. The tender way Travis cares for him is almost like the Daddy kink community he’s seen at the club. But Travis isn’t a Daddy… right? If he were, surely he’d have said so.
What happens when a lie by omission threatens to bring their budding relationship tumbling down around them? Will Travis ever be able to earn Adam’s trust again?
This is the first book in a new series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book. Possible trigger for references to domestic violence.
Hi, there! I wanted to come by and tell you a little bit about my new series, Davey’s Rules. I thought it would be fun to share my inspiration and some behind the scenes gossip. Who am I? I’m an author who writes as both Susi and Susan Hawke. Susi is my mpreg name, while Susan is my contemporary pen. This series is by Susan Hawke and that means it’s pure contemporary mm romance.
Hmm… where to start? Let’s begin with Davey himself. This series was inspired by the idea of one sassy, snarky, and slightly over-the-top flamboyant guy who has a single-minded determination to find the perfect Daddy. His list of rules for what a perfect Daddy would be is crazy, lengthy, and always growing. As I thought about him and how to tell his story, my thoughts went like this: “Wouldn’t it be fun to have him search over multiple books? And what if the ‘dud’ dates ended up finding love with his help?” And that’s how Davey’s Rules was born. While each book has its own plot and can be read as a standalone, there’s a longer arc threading the series together as we watch Davey on the sidelines while he continues to search for his perfect match. Nobody could ever live up to his ridiculous list, and therein lies the fun!
Please don’t be confused by the prologue! Because of the longer series arc, Davey is featured in the prologue of each book. We’ll see him start each story on a failed date with the MC of the book. In this case, we met Daddy Travis in the prologue and watch as he inadvertently breaks three rules on Davey’s list . As we move into chapter one, we enter the actual story and Davey becomes a side character for the rest of the book. This will be the format of the series, until Davey gets his own book.
I’d originally planned four books for this series, but a fifth revealed itself to me last week. I’m going with the original four as planned, with the fifth as a holiday book. As a huge fan of “Daddy kink” myself, I thought it would be fun to have each book show a different aspect of the kink, as suits the main couple. The first book, Rules to Follow, features a loving, nurturing Daddy who just wants to cherish his boy. Book two will feature a disciplinarian type Daddy with a bratty boy, book three will feature age play, and book four? Well… that’s Davey’s story, and I’m not spoiling it! I will say that it will be a huge surprise to readers. Book five will be an age gap story, with a Daddy who has his own special list of rules!
Preference wise, I’m not heavily into BDSM, either in the books I read or write. For the most part, this series will be on the lighter side of kink. If you’re not into BDSM, you should still be able to enjoy this series. For those that want more kink, book two will definitely have more because it fits that couple. I don’t apologize for my books being fluffy, this is a choice I make. I think life is hard enough, you know? To me, books and especially romance, should be an escape from the daily grind. This is why I choose to keep my books fluffy, funny, and lighthearted. Even when I have heavier themes, like Adam escaping his abuser in this first book, I still work to keep the overall tone light.
One fun thing I did with this series was to involve my readers. I did polls and surveys in several reader groups on Facebook, inviting readers to share what they think a “perfect Daddy” looks like. I even created a survey where I invited people to help create Davey’s list of rules. Everyone who contributed a rule that was used was acknowledged in the dedication and received a copy of the ebook as my thank you. It was fun to crowdsource the rules list, and it definitely made it more varied and unique than it would have been with just my thoughts.
Davey’s Rules will be completed before the holidays, with a new book released each month through the fall. For readers who haven’t tried my books yet, I hope you’ll give me a try! If I were to compare my style to anyone, I’d say I’m best described as a mix of Sean Ashcroft and Lucy Lennox… I try to hit you in the feels while keeping the humor and dialogue fun. My books are written in first person, past tense, with joint POV. Basically, I write what I like to read. If I wouldn’t want to curl up with a book I’ve written, I don’t publish it. My dirty secret? Sometimes I go back and read my books for fun.
Some people have been confused by my two names since I’m also known for writing mpreg as Susi Hawke. The reason I use two names is that I wanted to differentiate so readers would know that when you see my Susan Hawke name, you can expect that it is only contemporary mm romance. I’m going to be at GRL this year for the first time. I’m nervously excited about this! If you’re there, come by and say hello! I’m excited to finally meet my readers. It’s going to be scary, but so much fun!
If you want to check out my other books, you can find them on my website: www.susihawke.com
After the movie, we finally took our groceries home. Travis insisted on putting everything away himself. “While I do this, how about you order us a pizza? After that scare fest you talked me into watching, I’m in the mood for something lighter. While we eat, maybe we can watch that Adam Sandler movie we never finished.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan. Same order as last time?” I was already on my phone, loading the website to order online.
“Yes, but no onions or extra garlic on this one.” He sounded so certain, I couldn’t help but look up curiously. He was bent into the refrigerator, so I couldn’t see his face. Not that I minded the view I did have, though. In fact, I was so busy checking out his butt that it took me a second for his next comment to register. “Unless you promise to eat the same thing. If we end up kissing again, I refuse to have bad breath unless it’s mutual.”
This was the first time he’d acknowledged the kiss. And he was hinting at another? My mouth went dry as I adjusted my pants that had suddenly gotten a little too tight in certain areas. “I-I, umm…” I gave my head a shake and started again when I couldn’t get the words out the first time. “I vote for onions and garlic on the whole thing. Mutual bad breath for the win. Besides, there’s garlic in the sauce anyway.”
When he stood and looked over at me, I focused on my screen. I could feel my stupid cheeks blushing. I knew he’d noticed it when I heard a quiet chuckle. Deciding this was a good time to excuse myself and get a little bit under control, I headed out of the room.
“I’ll be right back; I’m just going to change. If we’re going to be in relaxation mode, these stiff jeans need to go.” Just the mention of the word stiff had me blushing all over again, because my pants weren’t the only stiff thing on my body.
By the time I cleaned up and changed into pj pants, Travis was waiting in the living room with our pizza and a couple glasses of wine. My eyes widened when I took in the dimly lit room with the movie paused and waiting on the TV. Gulping, I glanced at Travis. “Wow, I didn’t mean to take that long.”
He shook his head and patted the couch beside him as he turned and stretched a leg out like he had last time. “You didn’t take too long, they were just really fast with the delivery this time. Come sit with me. I was thinking maybe we could cuddle. Unless you think that’s too much, too soon?”
“No, that sounds… ah… nice.” My heart pounded as I scurried over and got settled between his legs with my back to his chest. Travis pulled the coffee table closer and opened the pizza box.
“I brought napkins, if you need one. But I figure we can forgo plates tonight and keep it casual. Does that work for you?” His voice was like velvet as it caressed my ear.
I felt my blush return as I awkwardly nodded. “Y-Yes. That sounds good.” I waited while he started the movie then reached into the pizza box. I figured I would grab my slice after he’d taken first pick.
Instead of biting into the piece he’d chosen, he held it to my mouth instead. “Take a bite, sweet boy. You always tease me about wanting to feed you. Tonight I’d like to live up to my reputation.” He chuckled and waited for me to bite into the pizza.
It was weirdly nice to be fed. He patiently waited, lowering the slice while I chewed each mouthful. It wasn’t until I’d finished three slices and groaned that I couldn’t handle another bite that he finally ate his own. I slouched back against his shoulder, watching the movie while he had his turn at dinner. I didn’t even bother with the wine; I was buzzed enough on Travis.
If anybody had walked up right then and asked me about the movie, I doubted I could have told them anything more than who starred in it. I was too aware of Travis and how good it felt to snuggle against his hard body.
Was I falling for him? It sure felt like it. The way I kept blushing, the way my palms got damp, the way my heart raced when he was near… the signs were definitely there. I thought back over everything I’d seen of this man, poking my memories for a sign of anything wrong with him.
Something had to be, because I did not have a good track record where men were concerned. The more I considered it, though, I couldn’t find a single thing that would put up a red flag. If anything, he made me feel protected and special.
As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.
I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly
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