I deleted her nipples.
I’ve been editing my sci-fi action romance novel TROUBLESHOOTER for the past few days, a couple hours each morning.
TROUBLESHOOTER is the story of Nik Frost, a corporate mercenary who goes on dangerous missions in the Verge — a virtual reality multiverse where all of humanity lives simulated lives.
But when computer-generated characters in the Verge start developing consciousness, the whole multiverse comes to the brink of revolution.
Imagine The Matrix and Terminator had a love child… and then that kid grew up reading pulp action and spicy romance novels.
On his adventures, Frost encounters dangerous enemies he has to outgun… and powerful women he can’t help falling in love with.
TROUBLESHOOTER is a full-body experience.
There’s action. There’s romance. There’s intense combat and equally intense sex.
But as I was editing one scene where Frost and his first love interest share a passionate kiss…
I deleted a description of the woman’s nipples.
Because as I read it, a little voice whispered in my ear:
“What if someone reads this and gets offended?”
One of those Puritanical programs that somehow got installed when I was younger.
That sexy bodies should be hidden.
That describing them is crude or inappropriate.
But…
That’s not what I want in this book.
I want a story that activates my imagination and turns me on mentally, emotionally and physically as I read. A full-body adventure, like putting on a VR suit and living something so vivid I have to come up for air.
To me, that’s what really feels good now.
Nipples and breasts. Big biceps and chiseled abs.
Pulp fiction at its best: over-the-top explosions, giant set pieces, characters who are way too sexy and wearing way too little clothing to be practical.
So I brought back the nipples and breasts.
The bulging biceps and the chiseled abs.
Because that’s what feeling good now is about.
Doing what you want.
Doing what feels good to you.
And not changing, altering or deleting it because you’re afraid of how someone else might feel about it.
No one else but me has to like this book.
No one else but me has to like any of my books, as long as they make me feel good now.
But if I’ve learned one thing on this mystic-author journey, it’s this:
When my energy is authentic and my books delight me…
the right people find them.
And the books delight them, too.
If you want to read TROUBLESHOOTER as an early reader, just hit Reply and tell me.
I’ll send you an advance copy as soon as edits are done.
All I ask is that when it goes live on Amazon, you take 30 seconds to log in and leave a review. It’s quick and easy for you, and it means a lot to me. Early reviews really help Amazon put TROUBLESHOOTER in front of the right readers.
Feel good now.
Do what feels good now.
And don’t edit yourself for the imagined opinions of others.
Now, I’m off to go read more TROUBLESHOOTER.
Let’s hope there are more kissing scenes coming up.
Jack
P.S.
Want to read TROUBLESHOOTER before anyone else?
Reply to this letter and say, “I’m in.”
I’ll send you an advance copy as soon as it’s ready.