When I think back on where the Unacceptables MC Series started, I can’t help but laugh. It really is funny…back in 2015 when I sat down to write Unacceptable, I had no idea what I was actually getting myself into. The original plan was a write my first true alpha and jump on the Step-Brother Romance phenomena train that was taking the indie book industry by storm. The idea of writing a gritty, taboo story with a strong, tainted heroine and a smooth talking, bad-ass biker was alluring, to say the least.

Confession: Abel was never supposed to be a single dad and originally Fun Dip was not in Unacceptable.

When I was shopping for swag for Wicked Book Weekend, an author event in South Florida, in the beginning of 2015, I wanted to bring some things that other authors didn’t have. I stopped at Target and found Valentine’s Day Fun Dip and a light bulb went on in my brain. I hadn’t see it since I was a little kid and I hoped that other book loving attendees would agree that it was a amusing addition to my table. Luckily, I was correct. To this day, I am still called “Fun Dip” by a few of the authors’ husbands that I see at other events that I met at Wicked.

Trying to figure out a way to incorporate it into my books so I had a fun reason to have the sugary candy on my table at author events, I decided that Abel would use it as his ‘after sex treat’. Best idea ever! I freaking love the light comedy that the bright blue lipped bikers bring to the mix in the middle of the mayhem that they are usually in the trenches of. It’s one of the moments where it is good to enjoy the little things in life even when the future looks kind of bleak – a common theme that I try to bring to all of the Unacceptables standalones.

Shopping for the same event, I was scouring Amazon for everything and anything I could find that I thought would be memorable to readers when they stopped at my table. I was a total no-buddy back then and I really wanted to make any form of amusing impression that would stand out among all of the talented authors that I was going to be signing with. It didn’t take me long to be down the Amazon rabbit hole looking at random rubber ducks. Finally, I found it – “Eureka!” I squealed to myself as I clicked on the white unicorn-looking ducks with rainbow manes and tales. They were absolutely adorable.

These stupid kid toys were the beginning of the series as we know it. I made the choice to write the cute creature into Unacceptable but there had to be a character added to enjoy the whimsical bath figurine. Abel went from a straight-up bachelor to a heart-melting single dad all because I wanted to have a reason to bring unicorn rubber ducks to book events with me. Miss Gilda, what Raine named her favorite toy, has turned into a staple in my MC world along with at book signings and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Without that silly toy, there would never have been Raine. Without Raine, I don’t think I would have continued the series at all. I had never intended to continue the series and now I don’t see an end in sight, which makes my heart smile. This crazy motorcycle club world with grizzly alpha bikers and strong women has helped shaped my writing career in ways that I never had thought possible and I owe all of it to candy and rubber ducks.