How did I come up with the idea for my book?
It’s funny because Claw of Exile came to me while I was chatting with my husband late one night. We were discussing “good deeds” and what it meant to be “self-sacrificing” so I said wouldn’t it be cool to have a character that did a tremendous amount of “good deeds” but was rarely rewarded for it. Then the conversation got deeper, because should you really expect to receive rewards for “good deeds” and so and so forth. Then the story started coming to me. I wanted a character that was inherently altruistic, and did “good deeds” out of the kindness of his heart, but helped those who were seemingly undeserving. I recently started reading a lot of werewolf shifter stories and I pitched the idea of a Katana wielding-werewolf shifter to my husband and he absolutely loved it. I think what first drew me to writing a character like Ryu is his strength. He is an Omega from a different clan, indentured into servitude to another clan that stole his home. I thought a lot about the cultural diaspora, and how a character that was raised in one clan, but brought up in another would behave and act. Ryu is very much a Filthy Claw, a lot of the characters don’t hesitate to remind him of his status, but he is also a Silvercrest Howler. There were a lot of influences from colonialism that is represented with the clans, their status and their occupations of other clans. To be honest, this book was really fun to write. I immensely enjoyed Ryu as a character, watching him struggle with his memory loss and finally realising he had the power within all along. I think what most people will find refreshing about the book is that it has a number of rich themes, the race against time, the spreading of the Lycans disease and of course finally meeting the enemy behind everything. I love to write a good character study, where I follow the evolution of the character and his growth throughout the story. Claw of Exile is a very dark read, it is literary fiction, dark MM romance so a lot of readers that are drawn to that would really enjoy this book.
He kills to survive
Book Title: Claw of Exile
Author: J.K. Jones
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 20, 2021
Genre/s: MM werewolf romance, interracial romance, MM paranormal romance, Action and adventure,
Tropes: Enemies to lovers
Length: 68 995 words
It is the first book in the series. Book 2 due to be released in December.
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Blurb
Exiled.
Cursed. Abandoned. Ryu Suzuki is no stranger to these things.
For years he wandered the Outlands with nothing but his Katana to keep him safe. Kuroi kage—Black Shadow is what they call him. A phantom Omega. He belongs nowhere. He is no-one. Until a vicious disease spreading like wildfire threatens everyone he loves.
After a series of unfortunate events, the game changes. Now he’s forced to go back to his long-forgotten pack, the Silvercrest Howlers. Suddenly, he’s staring at the man who ruined everything in the first place.
The Alpha that betrayed him. The White Lotus.
Micah McCorbyn.
He also happens to be his mate.
Claw of Exile is a dark MM romance series. Each book is a whirlwind experience, high octane and will have you at the edge of your seat. Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, hurt comfort, gay paranormal romance, gay betrayal romance and so much more. Follow Ryu into the Exiled series and strap yourself in for a wild ride.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
The Outlands
Yokohama Japan 21’
Ryu Suzuki is rotten.
Like all forbidden fruit, they say, he appears lush with deliciousness, but his insides are the color brown, sodden with the foul stench of bacteria. They are black and blue they say, slimy green, covered with rot and deterioration. It’s disgusting to look at.
The fruit is shriveled up, with pus oozing through the thick skin. On the outside he looks perfectly normal, shining—shimmering in the light, deceiving everyone.
Ryu is the picture of ripening fruit, ample with flavor, ready to be tasted and explored by anyone who dared. Conversely, among other fruits, he would never let on his infectious disease until it was too late, and it spread.
They say Ryu Suzuki is indeed rotten to the core.
His bitter hands grip the headboard as the man above moves forcefully. The durable bend and twists of his hips make him choke violently, back arching off the bed, pale skin shining in the moonlight.
His hair sprawls like a black curtain, long and silky in the sheets. Earlier that day, it had been upon him, the slick and fever of desire, so ripe and deep it made him wrench in anguish.
Ryu found the closest Alpha, decent size, large and empowering, and released his intoxicating scent. No Alpha could ever resist. Ryu lured him into his tiny apartment, no more the size of a small box, with the bathroom and kitchen all being in one spot.
The Alpha didn’t ask questions, he tossed Ryu onto the bed, tearing off his clothes in a deep rage that would later consume him in his rut.
No kisses. No words of any kind.
Just lips, teeth, and skin.
Fuck—the man licks down the pale column of his neck, lapping at the skin, tonguing his glans, causing passion to tear through him.
He comes again for the fifth time that evening, soaking the Alpha and the sheets. This goes on for several more hours. When it’s over, they are both covered in sweat, the stench of sex and freesia filling the room.
The Alphas knot dies down.
And Ryu knows what’s coming next. The Alpha stands, barely letting the air cool around them, throwing on his tight white t-shirt and jeans, his physique muscular, arms rippling and straining against the fabric.
He isn’t bad looking.
Just not at all Ryu’s type.
“You got a mate?” The Alpha asks.
They all did. Ryu ignores the question, lazily stroking his flat stomach, noting the sharp arch of his hip bones. He hasn’t eaten in days.
“Silent type eh?” The Alpha probes. “Look…. I only did this because you seemed desperate.”
That’s what they all say. Ryu wants to crackle in maniacal laughter. He doesn’t though, his eyes watch coolly, like a feline.
“You have a mate,” he continues. “I can tell. Your Māku is strong, very strong. He must be a powerful Alpha. You shouldn’t be wandering around here without him. Whatever happened between you two… it doesn’t matter…the stench of another Alpha on his Omega is enough to drive one mad…”
Isn’t that what Ryu wants? To drive his Alpha mad? He turns his head away dismissively. This conversation is over.
Heaven and hell, demons and angels. J.K Jones has always had an affinity for otherworldly things. From her debut novel, it’s easy to see she loves all things crawling in the shadows. As it so happens, J.K Jones is the author of a gritty, fun, action-packed, soul-rending novel. Her characters are so dark and twisted they defy the dimensions of this world. She does not believe in HEA, she does believe in writing a suitable ending for her characters. Never will you read any of her works where the characters ride off into the sunset together. Not going to happen. There is nothing J.K. Jones loves more than a tragic ending. She is an avid reader, poet, and LGBTQ activist. She is a University graduate with a BA in Sociology, also has a TESOL certificate for teaching English as a Second Language.
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