Ask RJ - How does the Heroes series tie into the Sanctuary series?
When I wrote Worlds Collide, book 7 in the Sanctuary series, I created a team of SEALs that backed up Joseph. One of those marines was a guy called Viktor, an explosives expert who literally fell out of the closet as Bi half way through Worlds Collide.
I painted him as a guy who was all SEAL and who basically sought sex wherever he could. He was irreverent, a bit scary, but he was loyal. He helped the Sanctuary team, and his part in my books was done.
Except, suddenly he wasn’t. He niggled at
me. He interested me. He demanded his own book. BUT, not a Sanctuary book. That
arc was done, and as far as I was concerned at that time there were going to be
no more Sanctuary books.
But… I did have an idea for a series of
loosely linked books looking at heroes. Not just SEALS (book 1), or Marines
(book 2), but cops, doctors, paramedics, teachers. And suddenly, I had a place
for my hero to appear. The man who I created for the final Sanctuary book
abruptly became a character in his own book.
I wanted to explain who he was and I needed
to write him. I created an ex, a back story, and Heroes #1, A Reason To Stay,
was born.
So although the Heroes series mentions
Sanctuary in odd moments, it is not a Sanctuary book as such. But it is an adventure, with heroes and villains, and all kinds of hot love :)
Excerpt
Sam continued, “She’s a clever one, going
to be in government one day like Dad. I’m just an artist, and I’m a man, I need
to do that stuff, don’t I?”
Mac hesitated. He seemed to be doing a lot
of that. His normally quick reactions to situations were lost in the need to
say exactly the right thing to Sam.
“You’re important as well,” he said. “And
no one is just an artist. What do you like drawing?”
“People. And trees and things, nature,
y’know?” Sam offered quickly. He looked shy and had the most intense sincerity
in his eyes. When he grew up, when he was legal, he’d be a looker. He was all
soft smiles and gorgeous dark green eyes, almost forest green and brown in this
light, framed with long sooty lashes.
“How do you think they knew?” Sam half
whispered. He was staring down at the parking lot again.
Mac wasn’t following the question. “Knew
what?” He turned when the door opened. A nurse hovered on the threshold, but
Mac held up a hand indicating five. She frowned and he smiled reassuringly. The
last thing Sam needed now was someone fussing over his IV. Mac belatedly
wondered if she had psychology experience and he should be asking her to stay,
but she had held up three fingers, left, and shut the door after her.
“How did they know I was gay? No one knows.
Not even Jo.”
Mac tensed. He suddenly realized where this
was going. Sam thought his captors had abused him in the way they did because
he was gay?
“It wouldn’t have mattered—”
“They hated me, and they hurt me. I don’t
want that with any man I’m with.” Sam was broken, his voice harsh and his tears
tracking down his cheeks.
Mac laid a hand on his shoulder and tugged
him a little to pull him close. “It doesn’t have to hurt, kid.”
Sam leaned into him. “I can’t be gay.”
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