by Ruby Dixon
(Funny story - authors that write a book a month get told certain things all the time. Things like “If you’d slow down, you’d write a better book” which makes me grit my teeth. I write fast, yes. I try to get at least 4,000 words a day and I work pretty much every day of the week. Mathwise, that’s how I’m able to put out a book every month. If the book sits on my desk for longer, all I do is end up rewriting the same sentence sixteen times and then go back to the original one. Having the book on my desk for longer does not mean it is a better book. It means that I have spent a lot more time ‘petting the painting’ as they say. More time does not equal better book. Sometimes it just means your author spends a lot of time with their thumb up their ass.)
ANYHOO.
Let’s talk about why this book took so long to come out. I think it was a mixture of things.
1) 2020
2) Specifically November 2020
3) Bridget and A’tam had a lot of history
4) I was also working on the serial
Let’s be honest - November 2020 sucked the big one. Even if you aren’t in America or try to avoid politics, you can’t help but get sucked in. It was very distressing. It was very distracting. I tend to be a higher-anxiety person anyhow and thus I found myself checking news websites every five minutes or so. You know what’s not conducive to writing a book? That.
So I thought I’d work on THREE books to stave off writer’s block. I worked on CORSAIRS: ADIRON, I worked on this book, and I worked on WED TO THE WILD GOD (Anchor & Aspect #3 which will hopefully be done in Spring at some point). If you’re thinking, Ruby, this does not sound like a great idea…you would be correct. Very correct. I got behind on everything. I got stressed out and my brain imploded and I watched four seasons of Great British Bake Off in a row.
(Sidenote, why do the British put like, sultanas and ginger in everything? Is that weird to anyone else?)
And this book just took longer to work on. There’s no excuse for it. Bridget and A’tam had a fraught history and showed up in the background of a lot of other stories, so I had to re-read all of those and pull together everything so I would make sure that they weren’t off in place X when they were at place Y in another book.
(Sidenote, I really should stop doing this to myself.)
But! The election is over. I put aside WILD GOD so I could focus on these crazy kids, and sure enough, the book is finally done. I’m happy with it, I hope you’re happy with it, and I hope you didn’t want to strangle anyone too bad (anyone = Bridget, A’tam, or me the author).
Let’s talk about Bridget and A’tam for a minute. For a while, I was NOT going to pair them up. I was going to have them sleep together and then move them on to different people. They had bad sex (My editor said that finding out that an ice planet barbarian had bad sex is like finding out that unicorns don’t exist) and therefore they were done with each other.
But as time went on, I kinda liked the idea of having a hero that was terrible (and I do mean terrible) in the sack, and him having to prove himself to the heroine.
I also didn’t want it to be specifically one person’s fault as to why they didn’t work out. Bridget was just as much at fault as to how their relationship went as A’tam was. Bridget didn’t talk, and A’tam didn’t listen.
I know this is a story that is basically WHY WON’T THEY JUST SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION FOR FIVE MINUTES. I’m sure some of you are screaming at me for that. But! I was like, okay, we have two characters that won’t have an adult conversation. WHY is this? And I dug around in their heads a bit more. A’tam was easy, of course. He’s arrogant and impatient, so it’s easy to imagine why he wouldn’t listen to someone, and it’s evident in how he treats the matter of Bridget’s name. As she points out to him, if it mattered, he’d try harder.
For Bridget, I didn’t want it to simply be a case of her being an asshole. They had bad sex because she didn’t say what she wanted. They go back and forth because she doesn’t know what she wants. For her, it had to play into her background. Someone that was constantly forced to be independent from a young age and not to ask for help won’t be able to communicate their needs. So I gave her a demanding, cold mother (it always goes back to parenting, doesn’t it?) and a lifetime of being bounced from one boarding school to another. She’s learned to only depend on herself and to never, ever show weakness.
WHICH IS ALSO WHY THEY BOTH NEED THERAPY.
Communication is the key to any good relationship. Not just A’tam and Bridget, but every freaking relationship. I wanted to show therapy in a romance where it’s a positive thing because for some reason that there’s a stigma out there that therapy is a bad thing. Therapy is awesome. Why is it a bad thing to learn how to handle your shit, I’ll never know.
I also wanted Bridget and A’tam to realize that therapy and learning to communicate is an ongoing process. It’s not a one and done. While it helps, of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t unpack a lifetime of hangups or selfish behavior in a one hour session.
I could also go into why I wrote a book where the plot was that ‘his dick was too big’ but like…it was fun? Can I say that was my motivation? Because I’m pretty sure that was my motivation. A’tam’s dick was never really the problem - it’s that they didn’t talk and he didn’t get her ready for, ahem, the launching of the Titanic.
Okay! I’m pretty sure I’ve rambled enough for one book. If you’re wondering where things are heading in Icehome, the next book will probably be Steph. If you need a refresher on who is left, we still have: Sam, Daisy, Flor, Steph and Tia. I’ve also updated a bit of the Who’s Who list to reflect clan affiliations and pairing up of mates. If it feels more confusing (rather than less) let me know.
As for what is coming out next - CORSAIRS: ADIRON will be out probably in the next week or two! If you haven’t followed the serial on Facebook or on my webpage, it’s a daily chapter of space pirate shenanigans. It’s been a lot of fun so far, and we’ll start the next serial (oh-so creatively called CORSAIRS: KASPAR) in mid-January.
Also in January will be WHEN SHE’S BOLD, a Risdaverse novella starring Lucy, who showed up briefly in WHEN SHE DANCES. Also possibly Harlow and Rukh’s honeymoon short story, but do not hold me to it!
Let’s all cross our fingers and collectively pray that 2021 is better to us than 2020,
Ruby
People of Icehome Beach
The ‘Castaways’
Angie – Adult female at the beach camp. Pregnant with mystery baby when awoken. Gives birth to Glory (a clone female). Resonates to Vordis. Now pregnant again.
Vordis (Vohr-DISS rhymes with Floor-Miss) – One of the red “twins,” ex-gladiators of a race called a’ani. Longtime friends/brothers with Thrand, another clone. The really devoted one. Hot sauce. Resonates to Angie.
Glory - A qura’aki clone baby, implanted in Angie. Newborn and cute as hell.
Willa – Adult female with a southern twang. Lo’s friend. Gren’s most ardent defender. Resonates to Gren. Pregnant.
Gren (rhymes with HEN) – Beastly, feral ex-gladiator male. Attacks on sight. Resonates to Willa. Soft and fuzzy, according to Aayla.
Veronica – Newest healer on the planet. Resonated to Ashtar upon arrival. Bit of a klutz. Needs to work on her bedside manner. Has enlisted Hannah to be her assistant. New mom to baby Katamneas (Kata for short).
Ashtar (Ash-TARR) – Flirty golden ex-gladiator and former slave. Drakoni male who can shapeshift to a “battle form” as a dragon and has the ability to communicate telepathically. Resonates immediately to Veronica. Stud. New dad to Katamneas (Kata for short).
Katamneas (Ka-TAHM-nee-us) or (KAT-uh) - newly born half-drakoni son to Veronica and Ashtar.
Thrand (rhymes with ‘Bland’ - no one tell him this) – One of the red “twins,” ex-gladiators of a race called a’ani. Longtime friends/brothers with Vordis. The hotheaded, competitive one. Ketchup. Resonates to Nadine.
Nadine – One of the adult females at the be
ach camp. Huntress and go-getter. Resonates to Thrand.
Tia – Teenager at the beach camp. Flirting with Sessah…and probably everyone else. Treats all the unmated men like they’re her personal harem. Transferred to Croatoan for the time being.
Steph – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Former psychology student. Neolithic therapist.
Flordeliza – Adult female at beach camp. Once a nurse. Kind of a clown. Oldest of the ‘new’ group at 32. Filipina. Talented with a needle.
Samantha – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Quiet. Beautiful. Former barista back on Earth. Really fucking loves being on the ice planet, which no one else can figure out.
Daisy - Newcomer! Dropped on the ice planet by Mardok’s old friend Niri. Former slave for over ten years. Very beautiful. Utterly thrilled and ready to mate and have babies, which means everyone unmated hates her. Loves to stick her nose into everyone’s business.
From the Old Tribe (Croatoan)
Raahosh (Ruh-HOSH) – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe. Messed up horns. Mated to Liz and has 3 daughters, Raashel, Aayla, and now Ahsoka. Generally unpleasant to be around (except to his mate).
Liz – Snarky human mate to Raahosh. Mother to Raashel, Aayla, and newborn Ahsoka. Star Wars nerd. Salty.
Raashel (Ruh-SHELL) - Liz and Raahosh’s oldest daughter. A bit of a tattletale.
Aayla (Ay-LAH) - Liz and Raahosh’s middle child. Fascinated by Gren.
Ahsoka (Uh-soh-kuh) - Liz and Raahosh’s newborn daughter.
Sessah (SESS-uh) – Unmated, lanky, teen sa-khui from Croatoan. Currently dazzled by all the single ladies in Icehome. Upset over Tia’s constant flirting with all unhitched penises. Shy.
Rukh (ROOKH) – Hunter of the Croatoan tribe and ex-outcast. His mate is Harlow. Brother to Raahosh, father to Rukhar and now Daya.
Harlow – Mate to Rukh, mother to Rukhar and newborn Daya. She assists Mardok with technology stolen/looted from the broken ships.
Rukhar (ROOKH-arr) – Harlow and Rukh’s young son.
Daya (DIE—uh) Harlow and Rukh’s newborn daughter.
Farli (FAR-lee) – One of the few sa-khui females. Mated to Mardok and has a pet dvisti named Chompy. Pregnant.
Mardok (Mar-DOCK) – Ex-soldier who has chosen to remain on the ice planet. Technology guru. Mated to Farli.
Taushen (Tow (rhymes with cow)-SHEN) – Hunter and mate to Brooke. Recently arrived at Icehome camp.
Brooke – recently mated to Taushen. Hairdresser back on Earth, recently arrived at Icehome camp. Will braid anyone that sits still for more than five minutes. Pregnant.
Bek (BECK) - Hunter and mate to Elly. Recently arrived at the Icehome camp with S’bren and Penny. Utterly devoted to his woman. Kind of a crank-monster otherwise.
Elly - Human female who was kept in alien captivity for over ten years. Very fragile and shy, and tends to regress when uneasy. Adores Gail. Worships Bek. Loves the stars.
The Island Clans and their mates
Clan of the Strong Arm
K’thar (Kuh-THARR) – Hunter, de-facto leader of Strong Arm, resonates to Lauren/Lo. Owner of Kki/Fat One.
Lauren/Lo – Adult female at the beach camp. Once had glasses. Likes to be a problem solver. Resonates to K’thar, newly pregnant. Friend to Marisol.
Fat One/Kki (KUH-kee) – nightflyer pet of the clan
J’shel (Juh-SHELL) – Young hunter of Strong Arm, resonates to Hannah. Very cheerful. Long braid. Dirty talker.
Hannah – Resonates to J’shel when the island tribes arrive. Newly pregnant. Resident busybody. Now assistant to Veronica and in charge of herbal stores.
N’dek (Nuh-DECK) – Hunter of Strong Arm, recently lost a leg in a kaari attack. No longer depressed and sitting around the fire a lot. Resonated to Devi and has prosthetic leg.
Devi – Chatty adult female at beach camp. Scientist nerd. Hair flipper. Loves dinosaurs. Resonates to N’dek and is newly pregnant.
Gail – adopted parent of Z’hren, older human female, once of Croatoan. Loves to mother everyone in the tribe that will let her.
Vaza – adopted parent of Z’hren, older sa-khui male, once of Croatoan. Loves to give advice, most of it bad.
I’chai (Eye-shy) – deceased female, mother of Z’hren
Z’hren (ZRENN) – Orphaned child of Strong Arm, now child of Gail and Vaza
Clan of the Tall Horn
R’jaal (Arr-JAHL) – Clan leader of Tall Horn. Kinda lonely.
T’chai (Tuh-SHY) – Hunter of Tall Horn, resonates to Marisol.Attacked by skyclaw on the island and nearly dies of wounds, so the healer stops his resonance. Eventually re-resonates to Mari.
Marisol – Terrified adult female at beach camp who is fond of hiding. Gets stranded with Lo on the island. Resonates to T’chai. Due to his sickness, their resonance is ‘turned off’ by the healer. Re-resonated to T’chai recently.
M’tok (Muh-TOCK) – Hunter of Tall Horn, resonates to Callie. Likes things neat and orderly. Bit of a sneak.
Callie – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Harry Potter fan. Resonated to M’tok. Also hated M’tok for a long, long time. She gets over it.
S’bren (Suh-BRENN) – Hunter, brother to M’tok. He’s the brawn (the Pinky?) to M’tok’s brains. Goober around women. Steals Penny for himself and resonates to her.
Penny – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Learning to hunt. Human sunshine. Loves adventure and a good time. Stolen by S’bren. Resonates to S’bren.
Clan of the Shadow Cat
I’rec (I WRECK) – Clan leader. Kind of a shit-stirrer. One of Tia’s flirt targets.
O’jek (Oh-JECK) – Hunter. Quiet. One of Tia’s flirt targets. Likes to cook. Rumored to be shy.
A’tam (Uh-TAMM) – Hunter, said to be the handsomest on the island. Not much of a fish hook. Finally resonated to Bridget. Whew.
Bridget – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Friend to Veronica. Hooked up with A’tam. Broke up with A’tam. Resonated to A’tam. It’s no longer complicated.
U’dron (Ooh-DRONN) – Hunter. Fisher. All around sporty type. Plays a mean drum. Late bloomer, proving-wise. Resonates to Raven.
Raven – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Blonde, despite her name. Hippie parents. Likes to sing and dance. Turns out her real name is Louise, she’s not a hippie after all, and was a stripper. Still awesome. Finder of Juth and Pak. Resonates to U’dron.
Outcast Clan
Juth (joooth) - Outcast male who snags Raven in exchange for goods. Adoptive father of Pak. Currently skulking around Icehome beach but will not join the tribe.
Pak (pack) - Littlest outcast! Adoptive son of Juth.
Want more to read?
All of my books are in Kindle Unlimited, so borrow to your heart’s content! Here are my suggestions if you’re looking for more to binge on.
Want to start Icehome from the beginning?
Lauren’s Barbarian
…or start from the VERY VERY beginning?
Ice Planet Barbarians
Or maybe you’re in the mood for an epic slow burn with some sweetness and a cat-alien gladiator hero?
When She Purrs
Or maybe you’ve only got a little bit of time to read and want something sweet and safe that stands alone?
The Alien’s Mail Order Bride
Enjoy!
