The Rule Breaker - Crystal Kaswell Page 0,101
and a whole lot of other incongruent ideas. The strange relationship between romance novels, feminism, and sexism is a conversation for another day. I’m trying to practice the wisdom of accepting the things I can’t control—other people’s books and reading experiences—and focusing on the things I control:
My books.
The more I write, the less I’m willing to compromise on my ideals. When I started writing seriously, as a teenager, I had two goals: to express myself (and find some understanding in the process of sharing my work) and to show people how beautiful and fragile relationships are.
In my now thirty book career, I’ve accomplished that teenage goal, and I’ve articulated new ones. I want to push romance conventions, especially when it comes to gender roles, I want to explore ideas about relationships, trust, love, intimacy, and I want to highlight characters with baggage, mental illness, and trauma. To make people feel seen and understood.
In romance, damaged heroes usually go over better than damaged heroines. People love hanging out in the head of a truly miserable, fucked up guy. I’m not sure why. I’m not sure why I enjoy it so much either. I loved writing Oliver, diving into his messed up head as he struggled with recovery.
But that wasn’t my mission with this book.
It was the line in the Lorde song Luna quotes, the one about people loving a girl with enough passion to burn a forest down, then leaving when the excitement fades and the passion is “too much.”
I’ve been in that place too. Made friends who loved my passion and conviction, only to have them flee when that passion or conviction no longer aligned with theirs.
I’ve had people claim my standards are too high.
I’ve had people tell me I’m difficult.
I think most women have. Not just the firecrackers like Luna. The shy girls like Daisy too.
Women who ask for what they want, who demand respect, who express their beliefs—
They’re told they’re too much.
They’re encouraged to tone it down, lower their volume, take up less space.
And I’m here to say:
Fuck that.
Turn up your passion. Say it louder. Make it bigger.
Burn so bright you set the world on fire.
You deserve it.
Love,
Crystal
P.S. I’m talking a metaphorical fire here. Please don’t set the actual forest on fire. We need trees if we want paper for books. Also for breathing.
P.P.S. Seriously, no literal fires!
Acknowledgments
My first thanks goes to my husband, for his support when I'm lost in bookland and for generally being the sun in my sky. Sweetheart, you're better than all the broken bad boys in the world.
The second goes to my father, for insisting I go to the best film school in the country, everything else be damned. I wouldn't love movies, writing, or storytelling half as much if not for all our afternoon trips to the bookstore and weekends at the movies. You've always been supportive of my goals, and that means the world to me.
Thanks so much to my amazing audio narrators, Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross. You always bring my characters to life in a way that blows my mind.
A big shout out to all my beta readers. And also to my ARC readers for helping spread the word to everyone else in the world.
To all my writer friends who talk me down from the ledge, hold my hand, and tell me when my ideas are terrible and when they're brilliant, thank you.
Thanks so much to my editor Marla, my assistant Gemma, and to my designer Gel.
As always, my biggest thanks goes to my readers. Thank you for picking up The Rule Breaker. I hope you'll be back for Gabe and Imogen’s book, coming soon.
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Also by Crystal Kaswell
Inked Love
Faking It - Forest
The First Taste - Holden
The Rule Breaker - Oliver
Inked Hearts
Tempting - Brendon
Hooking Up - Walker
Pretend You’re Mine - Ryan
Hating You, Loving You - Dean
Breaking the Rules - Hunter
Losing It - Wes
Accidental Husband - Griffin
The Baby Bargain - Chase
Dirty Rich
Dirty Deal - Blake
Dirty Boss - Nick
Dirty Husband - Shep
Dirty Desires - Ian
Dirty Wedding - Ty - coming soon
Sinful Serenade
Sing Your Heart Out - Miles
Strum Your Heart Out - Drew
Rock Your Heart Out - Tom
Play Your Heart Out - Pete
Sinful Ever After – series sequel
Just a Taste - Miles's POV
Dangerous Noise
Dangerous Kiss - Ethan
Dangerous Crush – Kit
Dangerous Rock – Joel
Dangerous Fling – Mal
Dangerous Encore - series sequel
Standalones
Broken - Trent & Delilah
Come Undone Trilogy
Come Undone
Come Apart
Come To Me
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