Prohibited Passion by Alyssa Linn Palmer - Blog Tour

PROHIBITED PASSION by Alyssa Linn Palmer


Ruth wants to escape the boredom of Bandit Creek and the strict expectations of her father, the local pastor. Her life changes the day she meets CeeCee, a world-wise flapper, and an irresistible attraction develops between them. She’ll be disowned and shunned if anyone discovers their prohibited passion, but can they keep their growing affection a secret?

CeeCee is drawn to Ruth, but things become complicated when her gangster companion disapproves of their liaison. He’s in town to broker a deal with the owner of the local speakeasy, and he’s not above using them to further his own plans. Can CeeCee protect Ruth and their budding relationship?

As Ruth gets drawn further into their world, she must decide between her familiar life and a new, dangerous path with the woman she loves.

Smashwords Amazon

About the Author 

Alyssa has many passions. Fortunately, none of them are prohibited. When she isn’t working, she’s writing dark tales inspired by mid-20th-century noir books and films, cooking up a storm in her kitchen, and reading. You can find her at www.alyssalinnpalmer.com, and on Twitter.

Guest Post

Is a story better with three? 

When I first sat down to write the story that became my novella, Prohibited Passion, it was a typical pas de deux. (It was also a m/f story, but that changed early on in the writing process.) However, there was something missing. The story had conflict, but not enough. 

There’s conflict already when the main character, Ruth, is an uncertain lesbian in a small town in 1929. CeeCee, the woman Ruth falls in love with is a flapper who stands out like a sore thumb among the conservative, rural townsfolk. That added a bit more conflict. 

Bring in the third. 

It wasn’t until I added an additional character, the gangster Sheridan, that things really started to pop. Sheridan put CeeCee between a rock and a hard place, a choice she had to make. He’s the fly in her ointment, the pebble in her shoe... You get the idea. 

He’s Ruth’s competition, and CeeCee feels loyalty and attraction to them both. Now there’s conflict. The dialogue began to snap, the stakes were raised, and until I’d written the last word, I didn’t know how things would end. 

The added third gives an asymmetry to the story. It unbalances the traditional dynamic of the couple. In art, asymmetry creates eye-catching compositions. In romance, and relationships, in stories, it can do the same.