Title: By Way of Pain
Author: JM Dabney
Series: Criminal Delights: Assassins
Genre: M/M Romance, Dark
Release Date: May 20, 2019
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
Double lives were just the way it was for a man like me. By day I was a man with a reputation above reproach. Even assassins needed backup plans. For fifteen years, life was going without a hitch until I had to take out a witness. When it was time to kill him, beautiful eyes filled with fear urged me to do something else. Yet, in order to do that, I had to break him, and by way of pain, my captive would experience pleasure he'd never dreamed.
Trigger Warnings: Title contains the following possible triggers. Humiliation, Violence, Master/slave elements, Male Chastity, Murder, Imprisonment, Dub-Con, and Brief Torture.
*****
This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.
I laughed with her through snippets of conversation, my meal, and the dessert I splurged on so I could stay a few minutes longer. I was isolated and wouldn't deny it, yet I also didn't want to admit it to anyone. Feigning happiness was something I'd done for so long that I didn't know whether it was real or a figment of my imagination.
When I would walk inside the house, the lock clicking into place would have it all come back in blaring clarity. At least here or at work, I could pretend I wasn't alone. That someone would miss me if I didn't appear one day. Would they worry? Probably not. I'd be just another regular who disappeared—found another place to go for their meals or a new place to collect a paycheck.
Without an excuse to stay longer, I threw money on the counter to cover my meal and a generous tip. By the time I walked outside, the cool night breeze had blown away the smell of greasy spoon and strong coffee.
On occasion, I thought about testing my theory, just pack up and go away for a while. Only fear kept me from doing so. It wasn't about the unknown or what existed outside of the city, but the fear my disappearance would be nothing more than a momentary blip. A split-second thought of where was he now.
I hated being depressed. Hating knowing that I was that dispensable. A forgettable part of the scenery. I shoved my hands in the deep pant pockets, and my steps were slow as I strode back to my car. Home was only a five-minute ride, and I dreaded it so much. I wanted someone who would miss me, mourn me when I'm gone, and yet I knew I'd just be a vague and fading memory.
When I would walk inside the house, the lock clicking into place would have it all come back in blaring clarity. At least here or at work, I could pretend I wasn't alone. That someone would miss me if I didn't appear one day. Would they worry? Probably not. I'd be just another regular who disappeared—found another place to go for their meals or a new place to collect a paycheck.
On occasion, I thought about testing my theory, just pack up and go away for a while. Only fear kept me from doing so. It wasn't about the unknown or what existed outside of the city, but the fear my disappearance would be nothing more than a momentary blip. A split-second thought of where was he now.
I hated being depressed. Hating knowing that I was that dispensable. A forgettable part of the scenery. I shoved my hands in the deep pant pockets, and my steps were slow as I strode back to my car. Home was only a five-minute ride, and I dreaded it so much. I wanted someone who would miss me, mourn me when I'm gone, and yet I knew I'd just be a vague and fading memory.
What kind of atmosphere do you like for writing(ie: radio, music, silence, etc)?
I see a lot of people who have must-haves for a writing environment, but for me it typically depends on the book. There are stories I had to write without any distraction and on the other hand, I have some that were written while Death Metal played at Ear Bleeding levels. Although, some sort of noise is always in the background on a normal writing day because I live with my earbuds in.
Most of us have themes that fall outside our reading comfort zone, is there a genre, trope, or topic you wouldn't be comfortable exploring when writing your stories?
I get asked this question a lot, and I won’t say that there’s a subject matter that I won’t write about. My stories deal with mental illness, trauma, body issues, sexual assault, but while in my new story I dealt with Dubious Consent and that was a bit out of my comfort zone. When I start each of my books I don’t plan what’s going to happen. The story that appears is the one that fits the characters and their backgrounds. Although, incest stories are a hard No for me. That’s the only one I can definitely say I would never write or read.
How do you celebrate your release day? Do you treat yourself to a special coffee/drink, binge watch your favorite show, alone time enjoying the quiet or do you just jump right in to the next story?
Release day has me in a burn out coma of sorts. Sometimes I catch up on books that have piled up since I started a project or a Video Game. But I always spend a week free writing. Jumping around projects and the one that holds my attention the longest ends up being the next book. I’ve finished complete fun write first drafts in the week break between projects. It depends on my mood, with my current book, By Way of Pain, I definitely searched for something lighter and more fun to work on.
What is a hobby or guilty pleasure you enjoy to relax that would make your readers go "huh, never saw that coming"?
I don’t think I have any. I make covers and graphics. I’m relearning to play acoustic guitar. I find that with my writing schedule I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies. My brain is always ready for another book and writing is the way I relax.
What can we expect to see next from you?
I don’t know, I have several projects in the works. Whatever I write The End on first gets published. I do have some horror, Scifi and Urban Fantasy coming out later this year. I’m taking a step into the Young Adult genre as M. Jameson. Late this summer the debut book under my YA pen name will come out, but that’s all I’m sure about.
I see a lot of people who have must-haves for a writing environment, but for me it typically depends on the book. There are stories I had to write without any distraction and on the other hand, I have some that were written while Death Metal played at Ear Bleeding levels. Although, some sort of noise is always in the background on a normal writing day because I live with my earbuds in.
Most of us have themes that fall outside our reading comfort zone, is there a genre, trope, or topic you wouldn't be comfortable exploring when writing your stories?
I get asked this question a lot, and I won’t say that there’s a subject matter that I won’t write about. My stories deal with mental illness, trauma, body issues, sexual assault, but while in my new story I dealt with Dubious Consent and that was a bit out of my comfort zone. When I start each of my books I don’t plan what’s going to happen. The story that appears is the one that fits the characters and their backgrounds. Although, incest stories are a hard No for me. That’s the only one I can definitely say I would never write or read.
How do you celebrate your release day? Do you treat yourself to a special coffee/drink, binge watch your favorite show, alone time enjoying the quiet or do you just jump right in to the next story?
Release day has me in a burn out coma of sorts. Sometimes I catch up on books that have piled up since I started a project or a Video Game. But I always spend a week free writing. Jumping around projects and the one that holds my attention the longest ends up being the next book. I’ve finished complete fun write first drafts in the week break between projects. It depends on my mood, with my current book, By Way of Pain, I definitely searched for something lighter and more fun to work on.
What is a hobby or guilty pleasure you enjoy to relax that would make your readers go "huh, never saw that coming"?
I don’t think I have any. I make covers and graphics. I’m relearning to play acoustic guitar. I find that with my writing schedule I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies. My brain is always ready for another book and writing is the way I relax.
What can we expect to see next from you?
I don’t know, I have several projects in the works. Whatever I write The End on first gets published. I do have some horror, Scifi and Urban Fantasy coming out later this year. I’m taking a step into the Young Adult genre as M. Jameson. Late this summer the debut book under my YA pen name will come out, but that’s all I’m sure about.
J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes mainly LGBT romance and fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.
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CRIMINAL DELIGHTS WEBSITE
PINTEREST / HOSTILE WHISPERS FB
B&N / HOSTILE WHISPERS TWITTER
By Way of Pain
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