The time I was blackmailed and how I used the experience to write an amazing erotic romance

So here’s the thing, the original inspiration for my blackmailer story comes from a time when I was actually blackmailed.

It happened in high school. A friend of mine—let’s call her Melissa—started dating another friend, Mikey. I’d been friends with Mikey for ages. He was like a brother, but Melissa was bold and sexy and wild. Her dream back then was to become a professional dominatrix and she let everyone know about it.

Well, one night we were on the phone—this is before texting y’all—just talking about stuff and I came out to her. I told her I was bisexual. She was the very first person I told and she was absolutely cool with it. Maybe I’d been hoping she’d come out to me, too—but it didn’t go down like that.

So a month later, she tells me that she fucked some random guy at a Tool show. He was hot and tattooed and shirtless and just ripped. I guess I was supposed to be happy for her, proud of her, but I blurted out, “What about Mikey?” He was my best friend and I was so naive that I just assumed they’d broken up or that she’d tell him. I was sixteen. I didn’t understand anything that didn’t happen in fantasy novels back then.

Melissa’s voice went all cold and serious. “If you tell anyone what I just told you I will tell everyone that you’re a queer. Mikey, your parents, everyone. No one will like you anymore. You won’t have any friends.” I was terrified and I believed her. I shouldn’t have, half my friends were in the closet themselves, but all of us were too scared to tell each other.

I kept her secret. She kept mine. When no one was listening she’d drop hints, remind me of the leverage she held over me. At the end of the school year she broke up with Mikey and tried to make it as a professional domme for a month before she went and joined the Navy. I never heard from her again.

At the time, it was this cloud I lived under. This enduring shame. I fully believed that being bi was enough of a reason for people to not love me. I am relieved to say that wasn’t even the slightest bit true.

But here I am now, remembering those intense feelings, and channeling them into the sexiest damn story about blackmail ever.

So do me a favor, when the book comes out next week buy a copy and help me tell Melissa to fuck off.

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You can pick up the first book in the Billionaire Blackmail series completely free.