Blog Tour - "THRASH" by JC Emery

THRASH

(Bayonet Scars #2)

by JC Emery

Published: January 9, 2014

First Book in the series:
RIDE (Bayonet Scars #1)

Loneliness suffocates the heart. Acceptance breaks down walls.

As a Lost Girl to the Forsaken Motorcycle Club, Nicole Whelan knows how to party. She’s not cut-out for relationships and her life is way too complicated for anything more than casual encounters. But one night when she falls into Duke’s bed at the clubhouse, he sees something in her that he can’t let go of—no matter how many times she tries to run.

Having been left to raise her teenage brother, Jeremy, she’s already got her hands full and isn’t looking for anymore complications. But Duke’s just watched his best friend fall for the only girl he couldn't have, and then lose her so shortly after, shaking him to his core. Faced with his own loneliness, he’s more determined than ever to break down Nic’s walls and show her that he can be good for her; but he’s got a bad track record and she’s got a bad temper. Changing his ways isn’t easy when he’s not sure what he’s even changing for.

The violence and turmoil are at an all-time high, and Forsaken is in a vulnerable place when a twist of fate breathes new life into the club. It’s a much-needed beacon of hope for the embattled biker family, even if everyone’s not exactly on board. With Duke and Nic’s relationship already on shaky ground, and something even more important at stake, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club will fight like hell to keep their family together and whole.

Love is never more precious than when it’s new.

THRASH

(Bayonet Scars #2)

by JC Emery

ARC Review

Published: January 9, 2014

My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️

Since they were teenagers, Nicole had looked on Duke as more than just a friend, but life under the umbrella of a motorcycle gang is not always straightforward. Men tend to take what they want and women, well.....women either become old ladies, or Lost Girls. Nicole has responsibility for her younger brother since their dad ended up in jail and is not in the market for relationships, so she'll take the hook ups of a Lost Girl. That is, until the elusive Duke finally manages to coax her into his bed one night and decides to lay claim.

Duke has always tried to get closer to Nic, but either his responsibilities or circumstances would get in the way and the opportunities where just never there. So he spent his time screwing just about everyone BUT Nic. When he finally has her, he doesn't waste any time making it clear he intends to keep her for himself. But when immediately thereafter he has to ride out and is busy for an extended period of time, their reunion is nothing short of explosive. And the results are pretty devastating.

With unrest in the club and Nic  hurt and angry, Duke is doing his best to live up to his responsibilities, while at the same time trying to salvage a brand new relationship he managed to mess up before it even had a chance to get off the ground. The situation has only firmed up Nic's resolve that life as someone's old lady is not in the books for her, especially with her brother's behaviour getting out of hand and an old flame forcing his way back in her life, she has enough on her hands. 

Not one to give up, Duke simply steps in and takes matters in hand for her, whether she likes it or not, and once Nic gets a sense of the type of threat the club is under, she learns to appreciate the pressures Duke is under a bit better. Neither one much for romantic declarations, they find their own way of showing their intent and commitment, in a way that can't be mistaken. 

****

WOW!!! Holy intense!!!

You cannot read this book without first having read "RIDE", first book in the Bayonet Scars series. Even though each book in principle has their own individual HEA, the backstory is so intertwined, and in this case, overlapping for the most part, you would miss a lot of important information if you were to miss it.

I actually enjoyed "THRASH" more than I did "RIDE". Perhaps it is because I now have a better understanding of the characters and their place within the club, and their importance in the story. I now also have a better idea of some of what went on in the background, that wasn't visible in the first book. The picture simply becomes clearer.

Duke was someone I was very much on the fence about in the first book, and to be honest, I still was early on in this book. But there were a lot of ways in which he managed to redeem himself, first and foremost the way he stepped up when his eyes were finally properly opened to Nic's true situation. He didn't hesitate to change it for the better, despite the fact she tried to fight him tooth and nail. We'll just have to forgive him for not clueing in sooner than he did...... Communicating for these men is even more of an issue than it is for men in general (which is really saying something!), so there is always too much much unnecessary conflict, especially so with one as volatile as Duke.

I feel for Nic in a lot of ways, growing up within the motor club family cannot have been easy for a girl without the influence of a steady mother. She was lucky that her step father was a good father to her, but she grew up too hard for her own good. Taking too much on her own shoulders and not accepting or trusting of support or help, not believing in anything that is unconditional. All she knows is how to keep putting one foot in front of the other without losing herself in the process. This is why she avoids hooking up with Duke for the longest time, she knows full well that out of everyone, he has the power to break her. What she doesn't know that she holds the same power over him.

JC Emery shows a gritty world where family, brotherhood and club will always come first......before law and before life. A disturbing world at times, but also a just one.....in a harsh and primal way. Her writing is direct and no nonsense, fitting the material described, but that does not mean there is no finesse in JC's writing, on the contrary..... There are very delicate balances at play, but the art is in the limited words used to convey the complexities of the dynamics. Ms. Emery knows how to tell the story without wasting a word, staying completely in character and expecting the reader to get in character as well......otherwise you will miss out!!

✨A raw, raunchy, engrossing account of MC life & love✨

**ARC provided in return for an honest review.**

As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.

Website ⭐️ Facebook ⭐️ Twitter ⭐️ Goodreads

Are your books planned out and plotted before hand, or do you simply open a new file and start writing with only the slightest of ideas in mind??

 Some books begin more detailed than others, but I'm not really much of a plotter. I know a few of the major points of the book and how it ends. I know how the series ends and what becomes of each character, but I don't always know exactly how to get there. My best ideas come to me while I'm writing so I don't like to be concrete in an outline. They never stick anyway.

When the idea for the Bayonet Scars developed, were you thinking in terms of a series already, or did it just develop that way??

 It started as simple as, "What if I wrote a book about a chick who was a snitch in an outlaw world?" I didn't know it was going to be a series until about chapter five of Ride. That's when I realized I didn't want to leave this world.

How much do you draw from personal experiences when you write? 

It depends on what I'm writing. I have a naturally warped sense of humor, so if I'm writing something with a lot of comedy, there's a good chance I've borrowed from a humiliating personal moment of mine or a friend's. I always do try to write what I know or can reasonably Google search though. I never want to look like I don't know what I'm talking about.

And how does that apply to RIDE and THRASH??

Err-- I don't know. I mean, I write about outlaw bikers and the Italian mafia. In real life, I'm not hooked up with either. I just do a LOT of research. Some of it feels instinctual. Knowing these characters and what their lives entail-- like... of course they'd break his kneecaps (that's just an example, so calm down!) My loved ones sometimes give me worrisome looks when I talk about things and say something along the lines of, "Maybe the best solution is a tire iron to the face." It's not like I go around whopping people with tire irons... I think I was a mob boss in a past life.

How do you you manage to have one foot in the fictional and one foot in the 'real' world while you write? And Is there ever a point where the thoughts and ideas around your characters become so all-absorbing, the rest of the world disappears? 

I try to make the world disappear for at least a few hours a day. This past year has been a struggle (but of the best kind!) in trying to straddle the line between professional and obsessive with my work. What it's come down to is this: my work matters to me a great deal. The people who matter have learned to cope with my workaholic ways. The people who don't matter don't tolerate my hibernating. And embarrassingly enough, my characters do get in my head. While writing in Ryan's POV for Ride, I told someone to suck my dick while in public. While writing Duke's POV for Thrash, I ended up flirting my way into free stuff at restaurants (with both male and female staff). It's actually kind of scary how easily I take to being a bad ass biker in my head. I should probably seek professional help for it.

What do you still dream of???

A lot! I dream of finishing the series. I dream of having my own office. I dream of FINALLY getting my Harley. I dream of being ahead of deadlines. I dream of finding boots to fit my massive calves that are really good quality. I dream that my cat can talk. No really, I do dream that my cat can talk. 

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