"Slave" by Author Sherri Hayes

Years ago, I worked at a state workforce office.  My job was to help other people find jobs.  Many times, I worked with people who had just been released from prison.

One of my customers was a baby-faced kid who was very much terrified to be out in public.  A family member came with him and as I worked with him, every once in a while the family member would say, “It’s ok, man.  I’m right here with ya.”  It was painfully obvious that this former felon had suffered some unimaginable things in prison at a very young age.

After that initial meeting, he came back in a few times.  Usually with the family member who would reassure him that he was right there on the other side of the room if he was needed. 

One day, that same baby-faced kid came in by himself.  He had ear buds in his ears, his head was held up high.  He wasn’t afraid anymore. 

Watching him re-integrate into society after suffering such horrific trauma was one of the most amazing experiences I had with that job.

I felt some of those same emotions again when reading “Slave” by my next Diamond, Sherri Hayes. 

Ms. Hayes takes the topic of human trafficking and women forced into sex slavery, and combines it with a hero that participates in the BDSM lifestyle.  Only here’s the difference…he has purchased her to get her out of slavery and back into society.

Crazy, right?

The psychological aspect is what made this book have such huge appeal for me.  Think about it…if someone has been trained for months or even years as a slave, what kind of shock would it be to have freedom for the first time?  Would it be comforting?  Or would it be terrifying?  Would that person truly understand that they are free?  Or would they always be looking over their shoulder?

Ms. Hayes doesn’t just write about these emotions.  She takes a different twist…can a known and very successful Dom use the skills he has obtained in the BDSM lifestyle to make that transition easier?  Can he build her trust by controlling her first, like she has become used to?

There were several times throughout this book that I found myself thinking, “Oh my gosh, of COURSE she would need that to feel comfortable!  That’s BRILLIANT!”  (One in particular involves a collar.  I still think the concept is ingenious but I won’t say anything else so it doesn’t spoil that surprise for you.)  And here's the best part...HE NEVER HAS SEX WITH HER!!  I know.  It blew my mind, too.

Now, there were a few questions that came up like, “Wouldn’t it have been better to just call the police?”  But frankly, the story was so good, I just didn’t care to think that hard.  I was too busy enjoying the psychological drama of it all.

In all fairness, I haven’t read the rest of the books in the series.  Bur frankly, even if you don’t, you will still suffer a serious book hangover with “Slave”.  It is a wonderfully intense book.  You will never look at BDSM the same.

You can find “Slave” by clicking here.

And don't forget....you have just 2 days left to enter the contest for a SIGNED COPY of the book THERAPY by Kathryn Perez.  Just "like" my Facebook page here and comment below to have a chance to win!

Signed Paperback of THERAPY

Synopsis:

Sometimes you have to get lost in order to be found... 

I’m needy. 

I’m broken. 

Cutting breaks through my numbness, but only opens more wounds. 

Depression, self-harm, bullying....that's my reality. 

Sex and guys....that's my escape. 

The space between the truth and lies is blurred leaving me torn, lost and confused. And while the monsters that live in my head try to beat me-- the two men that I love try to save me. 

This is my story of friendship, love, heartache, and the grueling journey that is mental-illness. 

GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS:

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Giveaway will be open until June 1, 2014

The Worth Series by Mara Jacobs

Look! There’s the quiet virginal girl who loves to read.  She’s 18 and has long flowing hair and a body to die for.  Isn’t she beautiful?

Oh!  And there’s the really hot football player who has never felt for anyone the way he feels about her and has abs like you wouldn’t BELIEVE!! 

Barf.

Anyone else tired of reading about these two?  They seem to pop up in 95% of all the New Adult books I’ve read lately. 

Enter Mara Jacobs, my first Diamonds in the Rough, and her realistic cast of characters:

·         The fat girl who has been labeled the “nice one” in her hometown, but is a bad ass in the world of sports agents.

·         The prom queen who was aptly titled the “pretty one” and has found herself in a less than stellar marriage.

·         The “smart one” who is practically a genius with everything except the opposite sex.

·         The small town boy who lost his lofty dreams because he thought with the wrong head one night.

·         The Latin Lover who is large in the nose but small in stature and struggles with abandonment issues.

·         And the hometown hero facing a life without the career he worked so hard for when age finally catches up to him.

These are a few of the people Mara Jacobs writes about.  The people who sound a lot more like, well, me.  And you.  And our friends and neighbors and co-workers.  And that’s just the beginning of why her books are so intriguing to me.

According to her website, The Worth Series is a New York Times and USA Today best seller.  So why do I consider her a Diamond?  Because I had never heard of her until the first book in the series, “Worth the Weight” popped up as a freebie on a list I was looking at.  I asked around, and no one else had heard of her either. 

But, me being a sucker for a free book, especially one with an interesting synopsis, meant I 1-clicked.  Within a few pages, I was hooked. 

Based in “da Yoop”, which is a local’s way of saying the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, these are beautiful stories of overcoming insecurity, body image issues, rebuilding after loss and of course, love. 

Unlike some authors, Ms. Jacobs doesn’t try too hard.  Her plot lines aren’t over the top.  The twists and turns never have me rolling my eyes.  They are real life issues in their most intimate form.  And they’re simple, in the most beautiful way. 

Don’t miss this series!  You won’t be disappointed!

The Worth Series, in reading order:

Worth the Weight

Worth the Drive

Worth the Fall

Worth the Effort

Totally Worth Christmas (Novella)

Click HERE to Worth the Weight on Amazon (It’s still FREE, by the way!)

My Top 10 Diamonds

Top 10 Diamonds (in no particular order):

(Click on the book titles to order on Amazon)

Mara Jacobs “The Worth Series”

Nina Lane “A Spiral of Bliss Series”

Brenda Rothert “Fire on Ice Series”

Rosalind James “The Kincaids Series”

Kristie Cook “Soul Savers Series”

Kathryn Perez “Therapy”

Sherri Hayes “Slave”

Laurel Curtis “A is for Alpha Male”

Beth Ehemann “Cranberry Inn Series”

Layne Harper “Infinity Series”

About Me

Hello.  I’m Author Stalker Chelle and it’s my blog you are reading.  Well, mine and my friend Katy.  She’s the one who has been pushing me to do this.  She’s also the one who does all the graphics because technology isn’t really my friend.  At all.

I could tell you I’m really excited about starting this endeavor. But the truth is, I’m terrified.  Like, REALLY terrified.  Like I kind of hope no one ever reads it, terrified.

You see, I’ve never made it my goal to be a book blogger.  I just love books.  That’s it.  I don’t have a favorite genre (although I do hate horror with a passion).  I just love reading.  It’s my escape.  It’s my joy.  It’s my relaxation.  It’s my hobby.  And it has led me to “my peeps”.  People who totally understand why I’m going to cry like a baby when I meet Jasinda Wilder (I wanna be that glam when I grow up) or why I completely clam up when I’m standing in front of Griffin Peterson (what can I say…he dazzles me).

But I don’t want to tell you about all the big named authors.  You already know them.  And you’ve probably already read all their books. 

No.  I wanna introduce you to the unknown authors.  The ones who have such amazing story telling skills that you can’t help but 1-click their entire series because you MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE CHARACTERS OR YOU WILL DIE!!!   I wanna tell you about the authors who have poured their hearts and souls into their books and never get the recognition they deserve.

Authors like:                                                                                

Mara Jacobs

Nina Lane

Brenda Rothert

Kristie Cook

Those are just a few of the amazing authors I have discovered through chance and now try to read EVERYTHING they write. 

So here’s the deal…I am going to do my best to present you with something new and fresh.  I’m going to do my best to introduce you to authors you have never heard of.  If you are bored in your reading habits and are looking for something different, I’m going to do my best to present it to you.

The books I review won’t necessarily be new.  But they will be new to you.  And yes, everything I write about will be something I like.  My goal is not to find struggling artists and rip them to shreds.  My goal is to find the ones that have already mastered their craft and build them up.

Just as a disclaimer, there is one tiiiiiiny exception.  I’ll probably review Colleen Hoover’s books.  Can’t help it.  She is my one true literary love and is quickly turning into my friend.  So yeah, I won’t be able to help myself. 

Other than that, you meet someone you have never met before.

So without further ado…welcome to Diamonds in the Rough.