Remember When I Vowed to Write a Gluten-Free Character?
If I remember correctly, I said that one day on Facebook, in the wake of an epic cupcake-related disappointment.
Photo by Stacey_Newman / iStock.
Obviously, I have a hard time letting cupcake-related disappointments go.
Well, in case there’s anyone out there who’s been looking forward to reading that (probably someone like me who’s gluten-free and knows the pain of epic cupcake-related disappointments), I feel like I should mention that I’ve fulfilled my vow. Zoe in Serious Ink (releasing Feb. 3rd) is gluten-free.
I’ve been wanting to write a gluten-free character for a while; the cupcake thing was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. LOL As someone who’s gluten-free, I have to admit, every time I read about a character doing something as ordinary as eating a slice of bread or pizza, I experience a stabbing little jolt of jealousy. (And yeah, I drive myself crazy writing meal scenes in my books. Why must I always send my characters on dates to Italian restaurants? Why?) As a reader I know I’d think it was cool if the hero or heroine in a book I was reading was gluten-free, even if it was just a small detail in the story.
With that being said, Zoe is gluten-free because she has celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten). It is a part of the story, of course, but it’s not the story. So if you’re thinking "who cares about gluten?", don’t worry: Serious Ink isn’t a story about food, some sort of weird cookbook or a thinly-veiled food lecture. Promise. The fifth installment in the Inked in the Steel City Series is, of course, a tattoo love story, with the elements of romance, family and sensuality those who follow the series have come to expect. And of course an incredibly hot, very inked hero. ;)
If you happen to be gluten-free and a reader of the series, I hope you’ll enjoy reading a heroine who could easily relate to all your cupcake-related frustrations. LOL
Inked in the Steel City, #5 - Releasing February 3rd!
Hard times mean hard choices, but falling for Noah Wilder is easy. Beneath his suit and tie, he’s seriously inked and seriously irresistible. When he walks into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, the attraction between him and studio receptionist Zoe is mutual – and fierce. And after the opportunity to ditch her demeaning second job to work for him instead arises, suddenly he’s her boss … and much more. With lines blurred in every way imaginable, can she balance passion and professionalism with doing what’s best for her struggling family?Attraction is a powerful thing. So is former fighter Noah’s drive to make his growing mixed martial arts promotion company succeed, and if business happens to coincide with pleasure, so much the better. Tattooed beauty Zoe Ramsey is all his when she’s not working at Hot Ink – for twenty hours a week, anyway. When circumstances bring them close faster than they ever imagined, can he make her see that he’s just as serious about her as he is about the business he’s poured his heart and soul into?Want to be the first to know as soon as Serious Ink releases?Sign up for the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list (form below) and you'll receive a single e-mail notification each time a new Inked in the Steel City book is released. (Your e-mail address is kept completely private and you will not receive any other communications from this list.)Subscribe to the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list
Photo by Stacey_Newman / iStock.Obviously, I have a hard time letting cupcake-related disappointments go.
Well, in case there’s anyone out there who’s been looking forward to reading that (probably someone like me who’s gluten-free and knows the pain of epic cupcake-related disappointments), I feel like I should mention that I’ve fulfilled my vow. Zoe in Serious Ink (releasing Feb. 3rd) is gluten-free.
I’ve been wanting to write a gluten-free character for a while; the cupcake thing was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. LOL As someone who’s gluten-free, I have to admit, every time I read about a character doing something as ordinary as eating a slice of bread or pizza, I experience a stabbing little jolt of jealousy. (And yeah, I drive myself crazy writing meal scenes in my books. Why must I always send my characters on dates to Italian restaurants? Why?) As a reader I know I’d think it was cool if the hero or heroine in a book I was reading was gluten-free, even if it was just a small detail in the story.
With that being said, Zoe is gluten-free because she has celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten). It is a part of the story, of course, but it’s not the story. So if you’re thinking "who cares about gluten?", don’t worry: Serious Ink isn’t a story about food, some sort of weird cookbook or a thinly-veiled food lecture. Promise. The fifth installment in the Inked in the Steel City Series is, of course, a tattoo love story, with the elements of romance, family and sensuality those who follow the series have come to expect. And of course an incredibly hot, very inked hero. ;)
If you happen to be gluten-free and a reader of the series, I hope you’ll enjoy reading a heroine who could easily relate to all your cupcake-related frustrations. LOL
Inked in the Steel City, #5 - Releasing February 3rd!
Hard times mean hard choices, but falling for Noah Wilder is easy. Beneath his suit and tie, he’s seriously inked and seriously irresistible. When he walks into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, the attraction between him and studio receptionist Zoe is mutual – and fierce. And after the opportunity to ditch her demeaning second job to work for him instead arises, suddenly he’s her boss … and much more. With lines blurred in every way imaginable, can she balance passion and professionalism with doing what’s best for her struggling family?Attraction is a powerful thing. So is former fighter Noah’s drive to make his growing mixed martial arts promotion company succeed, and if business happens to coincide with pleasure, so much the better. Tattooed beauty Zoe Ramsey is all his when she’s not working at Hot Ink – for twenty hours a week, anyway. When circumstances bring them close faster than they ever imagined, can he make her see that he’s just as serious about her as he is about the business he’s poured his heart and soul into?Want to be the first to know as soon as Serious Ink releases?Sign up for the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list (form below) and you'll receive a single e-mail notification each time a new Inked in the Steel City book is released. (Your e-mail address is kept completely private and you will not receive any other communications from this list.)Subscribe to the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list
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