Hello everyone! Today I am so excited to welcome back the fabulous J.P. Barnaby as she kicks off her blog tour for her new release, In the Absence of Monsters.  She is going to chat with us about the book, and also share an amazing giveaway — a Kindle Fire and a $100 Wilde City Press gift certificate for one lucky winner! So be sure to check out detail at the end of the post. And please help me give J.P. a big welcome!

 

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In the Absence of Monsters Behind the Scenes

Master Ethan, a study in childhood sexual trauma

A standard trope in romance, especially in the BDSM niche is: Doms are omniscient, perfect, and always in control. Subs get abused. Well, sometimes, Doms have their own issues to overcome. In the Absence of Monsters is a two-fold book. The first section, Jayden’s Story, chronicles one man’s entry into the world of BDSM. His journey challenges his relationships, his future, and everything he knows about himself as a man. In this viewpoint, we meet the Dom, Ethan Bryant, who we find later is far more complex than he first appears. In the second section, Ethan’s Story, we delve deeper into Ethan’s psychological damage. Abducted at age eight and held by a sexual predator for most of his formative years, Ethan has a far different view of sex, relationships, and love than he may have had otherwise.

So, what is In the Absence of Monsters really about? It’s about me. While I wasn’t abducted, I did spend several formative childhood years enduring sexual abuse. Those years, those experiences, made me question a lot of things about myself as I grew into the woman I would eventually become. It explores my own reasons for entering in to the world of BDSM, and how that role shaped me as a person. It follows one man’s journey through darkness, confusion, and pain to find a way through to the other side. The questions don’t disappear, but he finds them easier to answer with the help of his first true friends, friends he’d never had before in life, friends he’d never dreamed possible.

Master Ethan was my first character for novel length fiction, and arguably my best. He follows few of the rules set up by society of what a Dom should be. He’s shy and scared. He makes mistakes. He misreads his subs. He’s vulnerable. In short, he’s human. Throughout the second half of the book, once he’s shattered and trying to put the pieces of himself back together again, he uses journaling, much like I use writing, to explore those parts of himself that he doesn’t understand: his sexuality, his relationships, and his identity.

The epic 146,000 word novel, longer than any I’ve ever produced, is a rich canvas on which two beautiful men are drawn, refined, and shaped into the people they were meant to be. Over the course of the book, they shed their fears, and are stripped to their very essence as men. It’s a beautiful and frightening process, which requires the help of several secondary characters like Lexi, Gabriel, and Nicole.

I think one of the most understated characters in this novel is Ethan’s mother, Charity, who lived through the unimaginable. Her son left for school one morning as a beautiful, and charismatic eight-year-old boy and returned eight long years later as a violent teenager, destroyed by a monster. One of the most interesting stops on this tour will be with Kimi-Chan, and Charity’s own short story about seeing Ethan again after ten years, and her own heart-wrenching memories of his teenage years.

It’s a grueling ride, but one that will fundamentally alter you along the way.


 Blurb

absence of monstersJayden Carter knew the path he wanted his life to take. He wanted to get his Master’s Degree in History and teach. But, when he answered an ad for a roommate and met mysterious doctor, Ethan Bryant, he’s brought into a world he never knew existed and his path changes.

It changes again for Jayden and he leaves Ethan with their friend, Lexi, in tow. Ethan loses himself in a haze of self-destruction and pain. With the help of a childhood friend, Gabriel, Ethan battles the demons of his childhood and finds a way to survive. Gabriel and Jayden wage an epic war for Ethan, but in the end, they may all end up losing.

Adapted from The Forbidden Room and A House of Cards: Deconstructing Ethan


Bio

JP Barnaby bioAward winning romance novelist, J. P. Barnaby has penned over a dozen books including the Working Boys series, the Little Boy Lost series, In the Absence of Monsters, and Aaron. As a bisexual woman, J.P. is a proud member of the GLBT community both online and in her small town on the outskirts of Chicago. A member of Mensa, she is described as brilliant but troubled, sweet but introverted, and talented but deviant. She spends her days writing software and her nights writing erotica, which is, of course, far more interesting. The spare time that she carves out between her career and her novels is spent reading about the concept of love, which, like some of her characters, she has never quite figured out for herself.


Giveaway

J.P. has brought an amazing giveaway to share with everyone along her tour.  She is giving away a Kindle Fire and a $100 Wilde City credit to one lucky winner on the tour.  Be sure to follow the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to enter.  

Follow this link for the Rafflecopter giveaway

* By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.

* Giveaway is only available to residents of the US

* Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

* If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen.

* Winners may be announced on JP Barnaby’s blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner.

* In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.

* Void where prohibited by law.

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