SINNER’S CREED (Sinner’s Creed #1) by Kim Jones-Review and Interview with the Author

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2016

First in a new series—welcome to the Sinner’s Creed Motorcycle Club, where hard bodies and hot leather are made for each other, and love gone wrong is the most irresistible of all…

“I was the demon-possessed monster and she was the innocent, naïve angel. But none of that matters. She asks, I give and right now, I’ll kill anyone who tries to stop me from giving this woman what she wants—me.”

Dirk lives in the shadows—performing hits, maintaining order, and upholding the no-holds-barred legacy of the Sinner’s Creed Motorcycle Club. A nomad with a restless spirit and a cold heart, the open road is his world. One of the few constants in his life: his desire for the one woman who has consumed his thoughts for years.

Saylor Samson grew up far from the harshness of Dirk’s world. But ever since she was seventeen she’s been drawn to this dark and mysterious man who always seemed to show up just when she needed him.

After years of fated encounters, he’s back. This time he’s taking her. This time she’s ready for the ride. But just when the darkness in Dirk’s life begins to fade, Saylor reveals a secret that puts them both to the ultimate test. Now, Dirk has to make a decision: submit to his destiny with the MC, or choose his own.

••••••••••

DISCLAIMER: SINNER’S CREED is a different kind of romance story line; one that I thought crossed an invisible line, and in the end I am not sure how to categorize the story line trope. There are some guidelines that should, and must be followed to be labeled a romance story and in this, I am not sure where SINNER’S CREED will fit. Expect the unexpected, and be ready to step outside of your comfort zone.

REVIEW: SINNER’S CREED is the first installment in Kim Jones’s contemporary, adult SINNER’S CREED erotic, romance MC series focusing on the motorcycle club Sinner’s Creed. This is club member/MC nomad Dirk Dixon, and Saylor Samson’s story line.

Told from first person point of view (Dirk) SINNER’S CREED is a heartbreaking and emotional story line about two people whose lives crossed paths every few years until the one day Saylor Samson asked Dirk Dixon for a motorcycle ride. From there on out Saylor and Dirk were virtually inseparable and their fated relationship is the backdrop to Romeo and Juliet-two lovers never meant to be but finding happiness and forever a world away–or not at all.

SINNER’S CREED looks at the gritty and dark side of the MC life: the abhorrent and dangerous retribution to the fateful and destructive lifestyle that each member vows to protect. There isn’t always a happily ever after; too many times death is accompanied by a promise of revenge that circles the burning torment of what is and what has to be done.

Kim Jones writes a story about one woman’s desperate attempts to live, and one man’s need to give her everything that she wants. The premise is slow to build as our leading couple builds a relationship on the road while Dirk continues his work as a nomadic enforcer for the MC. The premise is powerful; the characters are courageous, energetic and heartbreaking. Fate had other plans; their destiny is in the hands of others; a romance built upon the here and now.

SPOILER: If you are looking for a traditional HEA, you will not get it with SINNER’S CREED.The integrity of the romance is destroyed in the final chapters of the book.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Kim. Welcome to The Reading Café! Congratulations on the release of SINNER’S CREED!

Kim: Thank you so much for having me! I’m honored to be here!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Kim: I’m not very interesting, but if you insist… 😉

I’m 30. From south Mississippi. I’m very close with my family—especially my Mama who cooks me fried chicken whenever I want it, which is a lot. I’m a college dropout, a Mountain Dew addict, make a killer cheeseburger and still have my Christmas tree up. I’ve been married for ten years to my best friend who still plays hide and seek with me. I have no children. And my greatest achievement was winning the Prudential Spirit of Community Service award in the seventh grade. Still to this day, I have no damn idea what it even means. But I made the front page of the local paper. And yes, I still have the newspaper clipping. Writing a book was a pretty awesome achievement too, but since I get paid to do it, I don’t feel like it counts quite as much. —-See? I’m pretty lame.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Kim: Well… I wish I could say I was inspired or that I had some sort of epiphany. That sounds better than the truth, but this is what really happened.

Me: “I’m going to write a book.”
Hubs: “No hell you ain’t.”
Me: “You wanna bet?”
Hubs: “Sure.”

So in a weird kind of way, my husband influenced me to start writing. But then I had to decide what to write about. I chose MC because my husband was in a motorcycle club, I knew the lifestyle, bikers were hot and I had plenty of material to start. By the end of my first book, I realized I’d fallen in love with writing. I’ve written a few poems and comedy skits, but this took it to a whole new level.
Oh, and I won the bet!

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

Kim: The biggest struggle for me has always been separating fact from fiction. With MC’s getting so much negative media attention, I feared people would consider what I write to be true. Let’s face it—bad things are always easier to believe. So I try very hard to focus on the brotherhood and it’s true meaning, rather than the fictional story that’s filled with all the things people love to read about—betrayal, outlaws, murder… Those things, along with romance, sex and a relationship with a dominant, alpha male are what make books sale. But because this is my life—this story represents my husband and MC family and what they stand for—I feel it’s my duty to educate readers on the reality of an MC (brotherhood and what being in a club ACTUALLY means) while still giving them a story that is edgy, raw and engaging.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of SINNER’S CREED?

Kim: Sinner’s Creed is by far the darkest novel I’ve ever written. All my published works are about MC’s, but this one is about a 1% MC which will take readers deeper into the minds of those who live a life dedicated to the club. One mind in particular—Sinner’s Creed Nomad National, Dirk.

Dirk is a BORN SINNER, meaning he was born into the life of the club. In his case, his grandfather was a national officer of the club. At the age of 21, he gets his first taste of the life of a soldier in the MC. With the hopes of gaining respect and love from his grandfather, he commits a terrible act—only to find his grandfather is not impressed at all. In that moment, he transforms. He feels all his goodness is gone. He believes his soul is tarnished beyond repair. He spends the next 9 years of his life acting as an enforcer for the club—performing hits and maintaining order. But then he comes face to face with a woman he’s encountered on several different occasions. Saylor Samson is the complete opposite of Dirk. She’s kind, innocent, strong in her faith and to Dirk’s disbelief, attracted to him. The desire to have something good in his life becomes so overwhelming, that he decides to take Saylor on the road with him—throwing caution and the potential high risk of having her with him to the wind. Throughout their journey, Dirk finds a reason other than the club to live for. In turn, Saylor finds an escape from an emotional past that has haunted her for years. I’ll end by saying this is not a traditional MC or romance novel. It’s about loyalty, respect, sacrifice and above all…love—in the most unconventional kind of way.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the SINNER’S CREED series?

Kim: I signed a two book deal with Penguin-Random House. So as of right now, that’s all I have planned. It will depend on the readers and their response to Sinner’s Creed as to whether or not I continue the series. But I’d love too! I actually have the story line for several more books. So hopefully you’ll be seeing a lot more of this MC in the future.

TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Kim: I have a very twisted imagination. LOL. I love the element of surprise, but I’m also one who likes to give readers the idea that what I’m writing could actually happen. It’s a struggle, but luckily I have a team full of people who are willing to listen to me go on..and on…and on about my ideas and they have no problem correcting me when I’m wrong. I actually have a “magical idea listening chair” in my office. It’s almost always occupied. Matter of fact, it’s occupied right now.

TRC: Without giving away any spoilers, how do you feel the readers will react to the outcome of the story?

Kim: When I finished this book, I knew people were either going to love it or hate it. There is no gray area. It was a risk I was willing to take and one I don’t regret. My characters are not just characters to me, they’re real people with real lives and real feelings who deserve real happiness and a real story. And regardless of how much this book differs from others in its genre, I believed my characters deserved a happily ever after in the most beautiful and satisfying way for them. And that’s exactly what they got.

TRC: Did you always have this particular outcome planned for Saylor and Dirk?

Kim: No. I wasn’t sure how the ending was going to play out for the longest time. It might sound crazy, but it was almost as if it wrote itself. I didn’t have to look at it from different angles or try different scenarios. When the thought came to me and I wrote it, I knew there was no other outcome possible. It was perfect for them.

TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic, and erotica in many of today’s popular contemporary fiction. What do you believe accounts for the differences between the sub-genres in today’s romantic stories?

Kim: If the book contains talk of sex, but never a thorough description of it, I would classify that as romance.

As far as erotic and erotica go, I seriously had no idea there was a difference. So thanks to Google and my “magical idea thinking chair” occupant, I’m a little smarter than I was ten minutes ago. I feel like that fine line has been blurred for quite some time. So I’m just going to go back to thinking there is no difference, because I’m concentrating wayyyy too hard on this one. Erotic…Erotic-a….Hmph… Who knew one damn letter could cause so much confusion…

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Kim: Absolutely. And I think the people who have covers that don’t consist of a half naked man, and still manage to be successful are unicorns who possess magical powers. ☺

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Kim: Oh, my characters OWN me. Collar me, cage me, call me “kitten.” I’m definitely their submissive lol.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Kim: Every story is perceived differently with every reader. Some readers prefer to read a story that is real to them. They want to feel like it can actually happen. Others don’t mind if a story seems a little overblown or unrealistic. Every reader is different. As a writer, I don’t feel like any of us “fail” in this. It all depends on who is reading the book and what their preferences are. So I don’t think writers should focus on how to deliver a book that will appeal to a specific audience. Instead, they should concentrate on making it the best damn book it can be. And that starts by believing in the story themselves. I guarantee no matter what, there will be some who enjoy and others who don’t.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Kim: No. I have to write in COMPLETE silence. The only noise is from that of my box fan that doubles as a smoke ventilation system. But I do relate songs with particular scenes in my book. Sometimes, I’ll drive around in my car for hours listening to the same playlist on repeat and replaying the scenes in my head over and over before I write them. But I can’t listen while I write. I’m easily distracted…

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Kim: That we’re all introverts. I’m a huge people person. I never meet a stranger. And over the years, I’ve found that many are just like me. But there are authors who prefer to stay to themselves. On more than one occasion, I’ve came to the defense of some when they were accused of being “stuck up” or “rude.” As writers, we often live in our heads—creating stories, plots and characters. Our ideas come at some of the most random times. Maybe we saw a girl who intrigued us. Maybe we were afraid of being arrested if we walked up to her and said, “tell me your entire life story and do it slow so I can write it down.” Instead, we simply create our own story about them. It doesn’t mean we’re all introverts, or stuck up or rude, we’re just working.

TRC: What is something that few, if anybody, knows about you?

Kim: I’m pretty much an open book. I don’t have secrets…I talk too much for that. So I’ll give you something that’s not really a secret, but pretty crazy. I have a weakness for hitchhikers. I pick them up…a lot. Don’t judge… they could be Jesus.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Kim: The third book in the Sinner’s Creed Series. Whether it ever gets published or not, I don’t know. But, Sinner’s Promise will be written very soon.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Kim: Just a thank you to everyone who reads SINNER’S CREED! I know it probably took you out of your comfort zone so I can’t say thank you enough to anyone who gave it a shot.

LIGHTNING ROUND

• Favorite Food—Mama’s fried chicken.
• Favorite Dessert—Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream
• Favorite TV Show—The Big Bang Theory
• Last Movie You Saw—Get Rich or Die Tryin’
• Dark or Milk Chocolate—Dark
• Secret Celebrity Crush—A.J. from the Backstreet Boys—yes…even after all these years.
• Last Vacation Destination—Cozumel, Mexico
• Do you have any pets?—2 dogs, a cat and a donkey
• Last book you read—Legend by Katy Evans

TRC: Congratulations Kim on the new release and new series. We wish you all the best!

Kim: Aw! Thanks guys! Y’all rock!