Why Abby
Rhodes?
by J. D. Mason
W
hat is it about Jordan Gatewood that
keeps me hanging on to a scoundrel
like him? From the moment I introduced
him in a novel called Beautiful, Dirty, Rich,
I created a character for readers to hate. I
went out of my way to make sure that he
was the bad guy, super bad, as a matter of
fact. And for a while, I prided myself on this
successful creation of an asshole.
Fast forward through some years and
novels, and my bad guy somehow found
a way to reveal himself to me in ways I
hadn’t expected. All of a sudden, I could
not let him go. Jordan is a character that
has been through so very much, and he’s
taken me on an incredible journey. He is
an amazingly complicated figure who, to
me, is larger than life and who is absolutely
overwhelming.
those who have tried to love him, only to
end up broken and maybe even destroyed
by him. His redemption, at the end of Crazy,
Sexy, Revenge, was unexpected, even to
me who was convinced that I knew how
that series would end. But after everything
he had done, was it enough? Enough to
try and build a brand new platform with a
character who was created to be hated
and who lived up to expectations?
Abby Rhodes is no Dallas socialite. She is
as far removed from the world of Jordan
Gatewood in every way and yet, she is the
key to what’s been missing from his world,
his whole life—connection. For Jordan, a
man who is handsome, wealthy, and who
has the most beautiful women lining up
outside his door desperate for the chance at
being the next Mrs. Gatewood, connection
is the one thing that has eluded him his
He’s lied, schemed, and manipulated entire life.
everyone around him to try and get what
he’s wanted. Jordan has been the source They meet by chance, on Jordan
of extreme anguish, heartache, fear, and Gatewood’s unexpected journey to search
disappointment in the hearts and minds of for meaning in his life, through a path his
16 Naleighna Kai Literary Cafe Magazine July/August 2017