Controversial With A Purpose
By
Diane Rinella
“Why?” I have been asked may times. “Why would I use such a controversial subject for a debut novel?”
Honestly, I never thought of it that way. Maybe I should have chosen a different subject, or waited until I was more established. The truth is, the universe guided me to do it, and I haven’t a single regret.
One chilly fall afternoon I curled up and watched an obscure counter culture film called The Buttercup Chain. In it, two cousins, related through identical twins—thus making them genetic half-siblings—have a strong attraction. She is fine with the situation, while he is a huge ball of denial. The entire film I waited for the obvious to happen. When the film ended and the man was heartbroken, I felt a huge opportunity had been squandered. Clearly they were soul mates, and never once did we find out why he was so freaked out by his emotions. All you could believe was that he hid from who he was because of society. What a horrible world we live in where love is wrong.
The sadness of the situation stayed with me, as did my anger at the author for not taking the story where it needed to go, either by explaining the problem or by facing it. The proverbial gloves came off and I started writing Love’s Forbidden Flower. What started as a story ended as a chalice in which I placed my heart, all the while asking why we make love laws. How we can tell others it is wrong to love, I will never understand.
*** Please note: This is a New Adult Romance novel involving
two siblings who struggle with their emotions. This is not a work of
erotica.***
The heart cares not what society forbids.
Lily nurtures a secret love for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate. Donovan is gorgeous, charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and quirks. Their innate knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together they interlock like fine threads creating luxurious silk.
But society dictates this picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all possibilities.
As Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor turns reluctant. Desperate to uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed from a tender-hearted gentleman into a ferociously self-serving, cocky bastard, Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the salvation of her soul mate. However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of chess, leaving her to question his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead to an inconceivable truth, can she help Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?
Impassioned, witty, and deeply moving, Love’s Forbidden Flower is filled with stunning controversies that will forever haunt your heart.
The heart cares not what society forbids.
Lily nurtures a secret love for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate. Donovan is gorgeous, charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and quirks. Their innate knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together they interlock like fine threads creating luxurious silk.
But society dictates this picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all possibilities.
As Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor turns reluctant. Desperate to uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed from a tender-hearted gentleman into a ferociously self-serving, cocky bastard, Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the salvation of her soul mate. However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of chess, leaving her to question his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead to an inconceivable truth, can she help Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?
Impassioned, witty, and deeply moving, Love’s Forbidden Flower is filled with stunning controversies that will forever haunt your heart.
Click HERE to read chapter
one of Love’s Forbidden Flower!
**********************************
Society’s torch only illuminates our path.
Very disturbing or somewhat intriguing? That is the question Donovan asks himself over his soul mate’s latest idea for bedroom antics. Undecided, he enters into a bet. If Lily wins, Donovan will become a willing participant in an unsettling new adventure. If she loses… Well, does Donovan really want her to lose?
Love’s Erotic Flower is an erotic, stand-alone, short story featuring the characters from the controversial New Adult Romance novel, Love’s Forbidden Flower. This piece is approximately 8000 words.
Warning: This title contains graphic language and raunchy sexual situations. It is intended for those 18 years of age and older.
Very disturbing or somewhat intriguing? That is the question Donovan asks himself over his soul mate’s latest idea for bedroom antics. Undecided, he enters into a bet. If Lily wins, Donovan will become a willing participant in an unsettling new adventure. If she loses… Well, does Donovan really want her to lose?
Love’s Erotic Flower is an erotic, stand-alone, short story featuring the characters from the controversial New Adult Romance novel, Love’s Forbidden Flower. This piece is approximately 8000 words.
Warning: This title contains graphic language and raunchy sexual situations. It is intended for those 18 years of age and older.
An eternity of passion cannot
be quelled by society.
Once upon a time Donovan assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But how could he keep the promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not involve him, though her deepest desires did? Now, Lily has it all—love, passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all she desires, even with Christopher in the way?
For Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to the future that cannot be shattered.
Donovan is convinced Lily has been his love for all eternity. Determined to unravel the past, they embark on a journey to discover where it all began. For centuries Donovan has stolen Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love. How much can a soul endure before the breaking point is reached and a monster emerges? Can the demons of the past be combated to pave the way for happiness in the next life? Or has the abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan hell bound? Time and again, one woman has destroyed their happiness. It’s time to silence her once and for all.
Once upon a time Donovan assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But how could he keep the promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not involve him, though her deepest desires did? Now, Lily has it all—love, passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all she desires, even with Christopher in the way?
For Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to the future that cannot be shattered.
Donovan is convinced Lily has been his love for all eternity. Determined to unravel the past, they embark on a journey to discover where it all began. For centuries Donovan has stolen Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love. How much can a soul endure before the breaking point is reached and a monster emerges? Can the demons of the past be combated to pave the way for happiness in the next life? Or has the abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan hell bound? Time and again, one woman has destroyed their happiness. It’s time to silence her once and for all.
The light of the alarm clock
covers my face in a soft glow while its progressing numbers remind me
that life is passing by. Finally, Christopher's breath deepens into a
low snore. Like a paranoid ninja I slip out of bed and head down the
stairs.
Is the frigidity of the knob on
the library door brought about by the weather outside, or the
betrayal I feel stepping through this portal, knowing a letter from a
former lover awaits?
Grabbing the designated book off
of the shelf, excitement and apprehension course through my nervous
system. Hidden in the section on making gum paste lilies is a sheet
of stationary that bares an uncanny resemblance to the stationary on
which I once wrote letters to Donovan, sharing in the madness of an
alternate reality.
You are, and will always be,
the force that drives and inspires me. On my brightest days, you are
the warmth that shines upon me. In the darkest nights, you provide
the voice that soothes me. Because of you I face each day knowing who
I am and the good I bring into the world. Because of you, I am whole.
Donovan
Placing the book back on the
shelf, I head for the family room, unable to bring myself to return
to Christopher. Curling up on the sofa I turn on the TV where the A
Christmas Story marathon continues. Quickly I change the channel,
only to return to it, and then flee again. Finally I settle on an
infomercial, staring blankly, striving to force myself into panic
over the details of the New Year’s Eve party to come. The diversion
proves to be a terrible idea. This will be the first New Year’s Eve
Donovan and I have spent together since we split. How do I move past
the impending pain of the night while finding a way to heal?
“Cannoli,” I softly mutter aloud. “I’ll switch from cream
puffs to cannoli. Maybe I should stuff the cream puffs with cannoli
filling…”
Enjoying San
Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home
augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices
have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning
hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to
their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake
designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’
roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence
her idiosyncratic writing.
Thank you so very much for hosting me here today. I appreciate your time and support.
ReplyDeleteAll of the best to you,
Diane