Exiled by Lana Grayson(Anathema #2)
Publication date: March 19th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense
Synopsis:
The only thing more sacred than the Anathema MC is the vengeance of a wronged man…
Excommunicated…
Exiled from the Anathema MC, Brew Darnell escaped the bullet only to face the unforgiving solitude of the road. With no future before him, Brew battles his past and vows to protect the one he loves the only way he can—by hunting the man who destroyed his family, devastated the Anathema MC, and betrayed every promise he ever made.
Saved…
Trapped in an abusive relationship with a sadistic biker, Martini Wright learned to manipulate, controlling her boyfriend’s temper with a wink and a smile until she’s traded as collateral to a rival MC. Her captor, Brew, has never trafficked a woman before, and Martini intends to exploit his guilty secrets to escape. Caught in the middle of a gang war, Brew and Martini fight a dangerous attraction—a second chance to heal from the mistakes of their past if they can confess the terrible truth.
Redeemed…
Brew failed his family before, but Martini can still be saved. With redemption delivered at the edge of a blade, Brew must choose who to rescue—the one he already lost…or the love he never deserved.
Excommunicated…
Exiled from the Anathema MC, Brew Darnell escaped the bullet only to face the unforgiving solitude of the road. With no future before him, Brew battles his past and vows to protect the one he loves the only way he can—by hunting the man who destroyed his family, devastated the Anathema MC, and betrayed every promise he ever made.
Saved…
Trapped in an abusive relationship with a sadistic biker, Martini Wright learned to manipulate, controlling her boyfriend’s temper with a wink and a smile until she’s traded as collateral to a rival MC. Her captor, Brew, has never trafficked a woman before, and Martini intends to exploit his guilty secrets to escape. Caught in the middle of a gang war, Brew and Martini fight a dangerous attraction—a second chance to heal from the mistakes of their past if they can confess the terrible truth.
Redeemed…
Brew failed his family before, but Martini can still be saved. With redemption delivered at the edge of a blade, Brew must choose who to rescue—the one he already lost…or the love he never deserved.
Purchase:
A woman sat on my bike.
It was the most dangerous place in the world
for her.
Had a man trespassed, he’d be laid out on
the concrete cradling a broken nose and counting the teeth scattered on the
pavement.
But the blonde leaning against the
handlebars gave me a fucking smirk. The kind of look that gripped a man by his
jeans and twisted until he handed over his wallet or fell in love. She mugged
with a smile, charmed with a twirl of her hair, and saved her perfect ass from
my temper with an arching eyebrow.
She was the type of pretty worth a night of
regret, but I knew better. Pretty was about as good for my bike as a ride on
dry gravel. I jerked a thumb over my shoulder.
She spoke first.
“Hi.”
Disarmed, and she didn’t even throw a punch.
The leather jacket tailor-fit her frame, snug against a thin waist and swelling
hips that promised endless trouble. Her boots had heels, probably to pin down
the men who fell for her siren song. Her jacket wasn’t zipped, but a pink, silk
scarf tied over her neck and obscured the cleavage from her plunging neckline.
She was the most beautiful woman I’d seen in
three thousand miles and thirty-eight years.
And she sat on my bike.
“Get off.”
I counted the seconds her silver eyes dared
to meet mine. She glanced down, batting her thick lashes as she studied the
ground with a bite to her lip and another squeeze on my jeans.
How fucking old was she? College probably,
though I doubted many people in the coal mining town saved their pennies for
higher education.
“I can’t get up.” Her lips puffed into a
perfect pout.
She didn’t want to play this game with me.
“It’s real easy, Darling. Stand up. Get the
hell off my bike.”
“I told you. I can’t.”
Those silver eyes pierced my patience, daring
me to haul her over my shoulder. I considered it. She thought she could tease
without consequence, thought she’d handle how I punished little flirty girls
for playing a game they’d never win. She crossed her ankles and settled in.
Defiant.
I hardened.
And I hated myself for it.
“Get off the damn bike.”
“They’re waiting for you inside the garage.”
The woman teased me with a glance over my leather. “I won’t let anyone touch
your ride.”
A scratch to the paint would be nothing
compared to the bruise on her ass.
Alpha Males—Acceptable
Character Flaws
Have you ever heard the term “Mary Sue?”
It’s a term for a generic heroine—one who is pretty and smart and funny and
everyone likes her and she had no discernable flaws. She’s a vehicle for the
story and little else, and the character hardly has room to grow within the
story as she’s perfect already.
Romance novels tend to come down pretty hard
on heroines, but it’s the heroes I’d like to examine today.
Most readers want to connect with the
characters from the first page, if not immediately like the hero from that
first introduction. This tends to get a little tricky, especially if the hero
is a darker soul, someone who needs to grow and soften as a character before
the end of the story. A good hero is redeemable, but he’s not so far gone
readers can’t relate to his thoughts and actions. It’s a fine line to walk.
As a result, a lot of heroes tend to have
the same flaw—arrogance. And that makes sense. An alpha hero relies on his
confidence to woo his women, outshine his competition, and fuel his anger when
he’s challenged. He thinks himself better/greater/more than the heroine, and is
often broken by her stubbornness, beauty, or attitude.
However, I like a story where the hero makes
mistakes and seeks redemption for past sins. I want to see a man examine his
behavior and choices and come to terms with the events that affected others in
a profanely negative way. I love to see a strong man broken by his own
conscience and then rebuilt through friendships, family, and lovers as well as
his own pride and sense of morality.
I wrote Exiled to explore just what a
terrible revelation from the past would do to my hero’s pride, confidence, and
soul, and the result was a whirlwind of emotions and discoveries about the
character. I love having the freedom to explore and let my hero make same
mistakes of his past, only to redeem himself and learn from the experiences.
I want to see more flaws from
heroes—tempers, liars, foolishness, greed, etc. Romance is an emotional
experience, and I’m always looking for stories where both characters are pushed
and forced to grow.
If you guys have any recommendations,
comment below. I’d love to find some new, exciting romances to read!
(no author photo)
Lana
Grayson was born to write romance. Her favorite genres range from the
dark and twisty to the lighthearted and sentimental—as long as
the characters are memorable, the story is fun, and the romance is
steamy. Lana lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, and, when she isn’t
bundled in her writing chair, she’s most likely cheering on the Steelers
or searching for the ‘Burgh’s best Italian restaurants.
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