PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE SPOILERS ON THIS PAGE. It is unfortunately not possible to fully discuss content notes or warnings for things that some readers might find triggering without also disclosing some plot points.
Page numbers given are for the print edition, and an approximate percent and Kindle location are given for the ebook.
Smidge Series
Abortion
I firmly believe that bodily autonomy is a human right and medical care should remain between doctor and patient only — which includes supporting the legality and availability of all forms of contraception, Plan B, and abortion. As a writer, I recognize that some of my characters would be less likely to choose abortion; Crys (because of her upbringing) and Blade (because of his dysfunctional family) are less comfortable with it than the rest of the band and crew, and this is occasionally reflected in their thoughts and decisions.
Rock Star's Heart
After a condom failure, Blade asks Crys whether she would want an abortion, and she says she always thought of herself as pro-choice but implies that she isn’t sure if she herself would take that step, and she goes on to think about having his baby; some sensitive language is in her thoughts as she is thinking about the potential baby as a “spark of life”. Blade then reveals that he was not a wanted baby and his parents would not have had him if they’d had access to abortion care (chapter 14, page 273 / 92% / location 4280).
Rock Icon Ready
Note: Rock Icon Ready is written as taking place in 2018-2019, before Covid and at a time when Roe v. Wade had not been brought down, so the characters could reasonably assume that access to all reproductive care choices would be available.
When Kimmy is reacting to her positive pregnancy test, Dice tells her that if she wants to be pregnant, yay, and if she doesn’t, that they will get her an appointment to “deal with it” (chapter 10, page 175 / 62%, location 2726).
When Kimmy tells Jed she’s pregnant, he asks if she needs help with an abortion or prenatal care (chapter 11, page 188 / 66%, location 2916).
Dice angrily implies that Angel had asked him if they’d considered abortion or adoption, under the heading of whether he’s ready to see his life changed by becoming a parent (chapter 11, page 199 / 70%, location 3083).
Alcohol
Many of the characters in the Smidge series consume alcohol recreationally. Occasionally, alcohol is misused or used unwisely. While it’s not practical to try to list every time a character consumes an alcoholic beverage, I’m noting specific scenes where alcohol is used in a less healthy way or where a character feels pressured to drink.
Rock Star's Heart
Crys gets deliberately drunk to blot out unhappiness (chapter 6, page 112 / 38%, location 1749).
Crys feels mildly pressured to accept a drink because everyone else is having one (chapter 10, page 191 / 64% / location 2983).
There’s a nightclub scene with assorted alcohol-fueled bad behavior including social pressure to do shots and drunken bar patrons attempting to take advantage of Blade’s inebriated state, though that’s foiled before any real harm is done (chapter 11, page 202 / 67% / location 3135).
Rock God in Exile
Nell is feeling anxious and Easy suggests doing shots as a way to combat that; they agree on one shot (chapter 10, page 166 / 58% / location 2571).
Rock Icon Ready
Dice gets very drunk and drunk-texts Kimmy (location TBD).
Biphobia
Johnny (also known as drag queen Ripped Creme) is a recurring character throughout the series; he’s bisexual and polyamorous, and is devoted to his long-term boyfriend and then husband Tab. However, some characters don’t always react to him as kindly as they should.
Rock Star's Heart
Leah makes biphobic comments on learning that Johnny is bisexual, and then attempts to pass it along as gossip to Debbie, and Crys is slightly hesitant/conciliatory in expressing disagreement (chapter 1, page 12 / 4% / location 195).
When the subject comes up again, Crys uses it to redirect the conversation away from a more uncomfortable topic, and Debbie believes that it’s a joke (chapter 2, page 28 / 9% / location 444).
There’s a brief conversational reference to Debbie going on a date with Johnny and “freaking out” when she meets his then-boyfriend Tab (chapter 14, page 259 / 87% / location 4056).
Drugs
As one might expect in books about a rock band on tour, drug use and addiction are present in the plot. I have tried not to glorify or rose-tint the harm that addiction can do. It’s not feasible to list every mention of drugs and addiction, but I’m noting scenes where drugs or withdrawal are a focus and where more disturbing description may be used.
Rock Star's Heart
Sally reveals to Crys that Blade is struggling with a heroin addiction (chapter 5, page 80 / 26% / location 1222).
A somewhat graphic scene depicts Blade in withdrawal from heroin (chapter 5, page 82, 27%, location 1257).
Angel shares a memory of the first time Blade used heroin, including some graphic description (chapter 5, page 92 / 31% / location 1427).
Blade is tempted to relapse and acquires some heroin, then asks Crys to get rid of it for him (chapter 7, page 123 / 41% / location 1906).
Blade prepares to inject heroin, with graphic description of the equipment and process, but does not in fact end up injecting it; some self-loathing for coming so close to a relapse is expressed (chapter 8, page 151 / 51% / location 2353).
Blade is extremely high to the point of medical concern (chapter 13, page 237 / 79% / location 3698).
Photographs of Blade using drugs are revealed in a humiliating and even sadistic way; some graphic description of the photographs is included (chapter 13, page 251 / 84% / location 3925).
Rock God in Exile
Easy talks about how he never had a problem with addiction and thus didn’t realize how dangerous a relapse was for Blade.
One of the tour’s drivers turns out to be a drug dealer.
Rock Icon Ready
Kimmy’s brothers and Dice, and later her sisters-in-law, enjoy some special brownies made with cannabutter; this takes place in Michigan, where cannabis products were legal for personal use in 2019 when the story is set (chapter 14, location TBD).
Kink / BDSM
While kink isn’t a focus of the Smidge series, a few of the characters enjoy non-vanilla bedroom activities.
Rock Icon Ready
specific details forthcoming but this book includes light bondage and spanking
Pregnancy & Babies
Positive pregnancy tests and resulting babies are not the main focus of, well, most of the couples in the Smidge world. But they do happen.
Rock Star's Heart
The condom breaks when Blade and Crys have sex aboard the plane. (chapter 12, page 232 / 78% / location 3643).
Later, Crys thinks about getting the morning-after pill and contemplates the possibility of being pregnant (chapter 13, page 248 / 83% / location 3636).
Blade asks Crys whether she would want an abortion if she did end up pregnant, and she doesn’t answer but thinks about having his baby (chapter 14, page 273 / 92% / location 4280).
Rock God in Exile
Nell finds out from the ambulance service that Jessalyn is pregnant (chapter 4, page 65 / 23% / location 1021).
A substantial portion of the subsequent plot involves a toxic workplace hostile to pregnant women (chapter 5, page 82 / 28% / location 1270) and Jessalyn wanting to keep her job (chapter 7, page 124 / 43% / location 1926).
Crys is revealed to be in a state of advanced pregnancy (chapter 12, page 222 / 78% / location 3472), which the timeline suggests is a result of the condom failure in Rock Star’s Heart.
Rock Icon Ready
PLEASE NOTE: PREGNANCY IS BASICALLY THE ENTIRE PLOT OF THIS BOOK. There is no practical way of avoiding pages or chapters with references to pregnancy and babies. If pregnancy and babies are triggers or unwanted content for you, I would suggest that you avoid this book or read it only when feeling capable of dealing with the content.
Religion
While my books are not faith-based and have no religious message, some of the characters come from backgrounds that include religion. In particular, Crys comes from a traditional and strait-laced Christian family, and Dice is the son of an Episcopal priest; some of their language reflects this, including swearing that invokes a deity or religious symbol.
Rock Icon Ready
Dice invites Kimmy to go to an Easter Sunday church service with him (chapter 12, location TBD). While there, they see a married couple with a baby getting baptized.
Some tension arises within Dice, and Kimmy suspects that it originated with seeing the married couple with their baby at Easter (chapter 12, location TBD).
Dice and Kimmy discuss whether or not to get married in a church (chapter 15, location TBD).
Sex
This series is a medium-heat romance with open door bedroom scenes. It is intended for adult readers who are comfortable reading about consenting individuals having sex. Although my focus is on the emotional responses of the characters, there is some description of physical acts, body parts, fluids, and so on.
Swearing
This series is about rock musicians, and they use the sort of language you might expect. There are very few swear words I am not willing to have my characters use, but I try to make them fit the character. F-bombs are pretty common throughout the books, as are the other common swear words you might be aware of. If you prefer characters with “clean” language, these books might not be for you.
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