Feeling a Character: Why Toni Kent Tore into Me

Original Post: Feeling a Character: Lyndell Williams’ novel Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit 10/5/19 – Just Contemporary Romance

I am thrilled about the release of my new novel, Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit. It is the second book in the Brothers in Law Romance series and the most difficult to write.

The characters in my books face realistic issues that impact their falling and staying in love. In Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit, Toni must deal with the pain of infertility while watching her sister-in-law have baby after baby. She was successful in concealing her anguish the first time, but with a new pregnancy comes renewed pain and desire to be a mother. She needs to decide if she should stay quiet and suffer in silence or try again, something her husband, Marcus doesn’t want.

Marcus loves Toni and works hard to make her happy. Seeing her in any pain tortures him, so he decides that they just shouldn’t try to have a kid anymore. Unfortunately for him, the infertility demon doesn’t play fair. Toni vacillates emotionally; he feels helpless, and their marriage begins to fall apart.

Toni’s dilemma, pain and desperation tore into me as I wrote her because it brought back the torment I went through early in my marriage. Society is ridiculously hard on women who voluntarily or involuntarily do not procreate. No one around me really understood. They usually made well-intended but insensitive remarks and became irritated when I didn’t just get over it, which made getting Toni’s voice onto the page difficult.

I avoided Toni’s point of view while writing most of the book. My writing coach pointed it out to me after reading half of the first draft. She told me, “You do a fantastic job with Marcus but don’t allow Toni to come through enough. She has the most to lose, so why aren’t you giving her a stronger voice?” I finally had to admit that I feared the feelings Toni would have because it took me years to bury them for myself. It took a while to get to where I could write her the way she deserved when I did, she came shining through. A few scenes left me crying, but the emotional hit was worth it. Like most authors, I feel my characters’ emotions so readers can too.

Toni and Marcus’ relationship hit reveals a scary reality that many of us want to deny exists. Sometimes love isn’t enough. Life can inject some messed up stuff in the strongest of unions and threaten its stability. How well a couple gets along and the length of their relationship doesn’t safeguard them from tearing the good thing they have apart. Despite the successes they enjoy and deep emotional connections they share, Toni and Marcus must tackle with some tensions, making each doubt that they will stay together.

~SWEET LOVE, BITTER FRUIT~
Has everybody lost their damned minds?

Harlem lawyer Marcus Kent fights for justice while preserving a stable, passionate marriage with wife, Toni. Smart and confident, he has it all together—that is until his world turns upside down.

Not only is someone stalking his sister, but an intern at work is also getting too close for comfort. On top of all of that, Toni’s renewed infertility obsession causes them to continually argue, adding more strain and cooling off their steamy union.

Struggling with insecurities and yearning to have a child, successful psychologist Toni Kent looks to her husband for support. Unfortunately, relentless distraction and stubbornness prevent Marcus from being there when she needs him the most and jeopardizes their happy home.

After multiple failed in vitro attempts, Toni is ready to try again, but Marcus is done. He doesn’t want another headache or more heartache.

Will a baby-making impasse tear this dream couple apart?

From the author of My Way to You, a new novel about keeping the flames of love and passion burning in a world determined to snuff them out.

~Excerpt~

“Toni.” Catching his breath, Marcus inhaled the delicious smells from the kitchen and started pulling off his hoodie. “Your man is home.” He scraped his wet sneakers on the entryway rug and scanned the apartment. The morning jog helped clear his head and renewed some of the confidence he was used to having in his chest.

Toni emerged from behind the refrigerator. “Hey, Babe. Hungry?” She held up a water bottle. “I rescheduled my morning appointments, so I don’t have to leave until later.”

He stood behind and pressed his body against hers, sliding his cold hands up and down her warm, soft arms.

She giggled and squirmed. “Stop, Marc. You’re freezing.”

“Warm me up?” he asked, kissing her neck.

“Yes, with a nice breakfast. Now, let me do this.”

He smiled as he watched the polka dots on the pajama pants covering her bottom jiggle toward the stove. Always a morning treat.

~Giveaway~

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