Fearsome by S.A. Wolfe
Publication date: October 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Summary :
Jessica Channing’s big city life should be more exciting than sixty-hour work weeks and popcorn nights with her girlfriends, but it’s not. She has worked hard fulfilling her role as a child prodigy and graduating college years before her peers. She’s the good girl, the brilliant girl.
Unfortunately, she’s also the dateless young woman.
That all changes with one phone call. Jess’s rigid, predictable life upends when she must visit a small, obscure town to deal with a relative’s death. This isn’t just any little speck of a town, though. Long lost memories come crashing down on Jess’s world when two men, the Blackard brothers, seem to lure her in.
Dylan is cover model handsome, and pursues Jess the minute she comes to town. Then there is tall, dark and gorgeous Carson, who hides his own secrets behind his hardened reserve.
For someone who has been governed by her own obsessive behaviors and fears, Jess lets her guard down and jumps at the opportunity to have an affair with a man she actually finds attractive for a change.
There’s just one problem. Jess discovers that she can’t have a simple romantic fling because true passion does indeed come with some very big strings attached to it. She will have to own up to her own truths about love and face the two extraordinary men; both troubled in their own ways and both determined to have her.
Excerpt :
I’m still daydreaming when he stops abruptly to pick up his toolbox and I bash right
into his back. Perfect. Didn’t I already do this with Dylan?
Carson drops the box and turns around to catch me. “I’m sorry, did I do that?”
“No, it was me.” I rub my nose.
He’s holding me by the waist, pulling me into him, but it’s not a déjà vu of Dylan.Carson is something else—something I like very much—and I suspect that being torn
between two men in my own imaginary, lovelorn world is a sign of my immaturity. At
least, that would be the first thing my mother would say before she asks what they do
for a living. My hands are wedged between us, resting against his hard abdomen.
Carson doesn’t let go, as if he’s thinking of something to say or thinking of pulling
one of those fast Blackard kisses. “This could be awkward,” he says and releases his grip
on me while his hands remain hovering by me.
I’m not sure if he’s having the same thought as me, that a kiss would be awkward
since I’m going out with Dylan, or if it’s awkward because he sees me as some virginal
geek and he’s never touched one in person before. It’s awkward because I’m over-
thinking the whole scenario!
Meet the characters in Fearsome :
Jessica Channing
I came up with the idea of Jessica because I wanted a protagonist who fit a very different description
than what is generally expected. Having spent so much time around women who excelled in
academia, particularly the sciences (I’m not one of those women by the way.), I felt many of them
were overlooked in contemporary romance novels.
So Jessica is really a composite of some amazing young women I have encountered, working in
specialized fields that require advanced degrees and years of post-graduate work, and as I told my
husband once, some of these women were stunning, incredibly beautiful. Simply put, some of these
remarkable women were put together like elegant women you see on the streets of Paris.
Well, Jessica may be a genius, a child prodigy, and she advances quickly in her education, but she
isn’t smooth by any means and she isn’t put together like a Parisienne woman. It takes years for
Jess to grow out of her geek stage, and even when she becomes a swan, she still feels like a nerd
who is riddled with obsessive behaviors. Her OCD-type behavior is critical to her character. Most
people are unaware of their little rituals in their daily life. Jessica’s issues stem from her analytical
personality and they escalate in certain situations. She’s well aware of her peculiar traits, and you
even catch her lying about it in the novel. However, the fact that she cannot control these quirky
behaviors endears her to others.
Although she is very comfortable in New York City, the town of Hera makes it very apparent to
Jessica that what has been missing in her life are meaningful relationships, from both a familial and
a romantic aspect. This is where you see her true neurotic self-analysis surface. She is conflicted
about men, and even her own family, therefore, she relies heavily on her new support system of
friends, and her artwork as a means to cope. I wanted her to have an outlet that was the complete
opposite of her work life, which involves systematic procedures and precise numbers. Jessica’s
paintings are liberating for her, and I intentionally have her delve into fun, whimsical imagery for that reason.
Carson Blackard
Carson is a strong sexy alpha male, but I didn’t want him to be perfect in any way. He doesn’t go
for the meticulous look, no suits or polished grooming unless absolutely necessary, and even then,
he’d rather be in jeans. He’s a guy who works with his hands, and he drives himself to work long
hard hours. I wanted that rough and tumble type of man. He seems like the opposite of Jessica in
terms of education and his chosen profession, and on first impressions, Jessica assumes he’s just a
hunky guy in a truck. I wanted Carson to be a mystery, but not someone who dwells on his past,
especially someone who allows his past to break him. His strength comes from forging ahead, his
intelligence, loyalty to friends and family, and although he is “stingy with his smiles” as Jessica says
in the novel, he actually is an optimist, and we see that grow in his character arc throughout the
novel. Of course, he is not without faults, and you can call it overbearing stubbornness or his idea
of “taking care of others” that undermines his ability to have what he really wants in life, and this is
one of the main catalysts for the story.
Bottom line, Carson, like Jess, is a workaholic. He is driven to work hard, determined to make
things right in his world. Whatever his reasons, he’s industrious, and that in itself presents some of
his similarities to Jess.
Dylan Blackard
Dylan is a beautiful enigma. Where Carson’s personal life seems like a mystery to everyone, it’s
Dylan’s behavior and internal conflicts that are the mystery to Jessica. Dylan is the epitome of those
cute hunky surfers or lifeguards you see all over the California beaches, or men engaging in extreme
sports anywhere really. He personifies that “too cute and beautiful” man who looks like he gets
everything he wants out of life. Without giving away spoilers, Dylan, actually has a serious issue that
millions of people have, and it’s through discovering this, Jessica learns more about herself and what
it means to be part of a nurturing family. Dylan is the outgoing lovable guy in town, and in many
ways he is the linchpin for Hera, the person who is tied to everyone. His overzealous nature plays
both an exciting role and major conflict in Jessica’s new life in Hera.
Imogene & Lauren
Jessica’s relationship with Imogene and Lauren are crucial. Although she doesn’t come from a
wealthy family, you could say that Jessica’s upbringing in Manhattan was rather privileged, elite
private schools and a premiere cultural scene. She knows her genius academic abilities have given
her an upper-hand as far as employment are concerned, but I wanted her to be outside of her
element, away from the glamorous city, among peers in a small town with down-to-earth type
people. I think Imogene and Lauren are perfectly cast as Jessica’s new best friends. They are college
educated, but living back in their small town again, working long hours as waitresses, and tackling
the difficult dream of launching their own jewelry business. Through these two funny, lovable young
women, Jessica sees how most college grads live today, paycheck to paycheck, still trying to find
their way in the world. And let’s just say that Imogene and Lauren have some of the best damn
lines in the novel. I didn’t want them portrayed as ignorant small town girls; they are smart, funny,
insightful, and give Jess plenty of crap when needed, which is often.
Archie, Lois, Eleanor, Aunt Virgina
Dead or alive, these characters are key to the town of Hera and Jessica’s new life there.
I love older characters that can offer a serious or even comical perspective on life and these seniors
do just that. They know everything that’s going on with all the young players in this town and they
love to offer up their unsolicited advice.
About The Author :
S. A. Wolfe lives with her wonderfully loud, opinionated children and awesome husband. She is a voracious reader and passionate about writing, and when those two activities don’t keep her locked away in her room, she loves hiking mountains as much as she adores all the thrills New York City has to offer.
A Little About Me:
Like many, I’m busy raising a family, but on the personal side I rarely watch television because I prefer to read. I make exceptions for Hell On Wheels and Modern Family, otherwise, I’m big on purchasing complete seasons of shows like Downton Abbey, Girls, or House of Cards and watching
them in one long marathon session when my husband is willing to take the kids out for the day.
I also tell people that while they may be talented at walking and texting, I have perfected the fine art
of walking and reading. Once I did walk into a wall, actually it was the side of a whole building, but I blamed that on the glare from the sun.
Other than reading, writing, and hanging out with friends and family, I can be pretty darn lazy. I’m really good at talking myself out of exercising even though we have a huge popular gym right next to our building, and it happens to be an incredible magnet for some of the best eye candy in town.
Thank you!
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