Disclaimer - Adult Content

Why is rape a recurring theme in my writing? One in every 17 Canadian women is raped at some point in her life. 70% of rapes are committed by a perpetrator who knows the victim. Out of every 100 incidents of sexual assault, only 6 are reported to the police. So why am I writing about it? No one else is. But almost everyone alludes to it. In popular culture the female character has brushes with rape to the point that we're desensitized to the 'almost happened but was rescued in the nick of time' scene; in romance novels (in abundance), and in paranormal romance. No one meets the ugliness head on. As long as it is a subject spoken about in whispers with averted eyes, rape will always be a stigma; a shameful thing for the victim.

Karla Hawke represents many things for me, the wounded female psyche, mother earth, any woman of power throughout history that has been demeaned, brought down, vilified because of her inner strength and the threat it represented.

The use of the drug Applejack in my stories is symbolic for taking the choice away from the victim. It is the misleading understanding that by verbalizing 'no' that an attacker will not continue with the victimization. It is the absolute powerlessness of the word. It also stands for the burden of self-blame that the victim is left with.

Karla is both fragile and unbending like a Willow tree. She has survived horrible things. She has her own weaknesses and vulnerabilities, which despite her supernatural powers make her painfully human.

To be perfectly honest I have personal reasons for exploring these scenes. There are some valid reasons why I admire my character’s resilience. I think readers can make the connection.

The part that I like to reflect on is that this is only a part of the story. There is a bigger picture. Friends and family; adventures and love triangles make life a lot more interesting and worthwhile than the short periods of darkness.