"Black and Blue Love" about Lesbian domestic violence is, so far, my best selling novella. The story is about lovely Della who is in a long term relationship with her partner Toni. Toni has risen above her immediate family and has been the only one of her siblings to go to college and become a professional. Being the only girl in a group of brothers, and obviously having attained a better place in life than they have, her brothers continue to pick on her like they did while she was growing up.
Lovely Della finds it difficult to be around Toni's family but Toni's mother is a domineering woman who demands that all of her children and their spouses and children attend any get together that she dictates. These family gatherings are always boisterous with loud talking and lots and lots of drinking. And, the usual fun game of picking on Toni who is the baby of the family.
Over the years Toni's drinking has increased to the point of affecting her relationship with Della. But there seems to be more to Toni's problems than just her drinking and the abuse she has endured over the years from her family. There seems to be something mental going on in her brain causing her behavior to deteriorate.
Della, who comes from a refined, educated family, finds it more and more difficult to endure the loud obnoxious family gatherings at Toni's mother's house. That is until at one gathering she meets Kallie, a cousin to Toni. Kallie is educated, professional and very charming, not to mention damn good looking.
Kallie has lived out of town for a number of years and has accepted a position back in her hometown. Being widowed from her husbands unexpected death at an early age, Kallie is not prepared for the sparks between she and Della from the moment they meet amid all the shouting and talking and drinking coming from Toni's family.
Kallie becomes aware of the abusive manner in which Toni treats Della and her sympathy draws her closer and closer to Della who obviously enjoys Kallie's attention and concern. Kallie is also aware that her cousin, who used to be her best friend years ago, has now become a philanderer and a drunk. Kallie turns against her cousin and more towards Della.
As Toni's condition deteriorates her jealousy and her anger escalate. Toni's abuse of Della moves from disrespect and verbal to physical. Della finally flees for her life and for her safety and ends up in the arms of Kallie.
I won't tell you the rest of the story, you'll need to read the book. This story has pathos, romance, love, humor, sex, abuse, mystery, and crazed Toni, with a handgun, out for revenge.
I got the idea to write such a story when my editor Debra Stang and I were visiting about her volunteer work at a domestic violence hot line. She told me about a woman who called and was hesitant to admit that her abusive partner was a woman.
I had not heard much about lesbian domestic violence, nor had Debra. From this sparked my interest in writing a story about such a topic. After doing research on the topic I found it interesting that same-sex domestic violence is as common as heterosexual couples...it just isn't talked about as much. When I would visit with women about this book they all found it shocking and interesting as they had never thought about lesbian domestic violence.
"Black and Blue Love", when I published it on Amazon, took off like a rocket. It continues each month to be my best selling novella. I hope you will take a look at it. I'm sure you will like it.
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