Title Crossing the Lines (Neighborly Affection #2)

Genre Contemporary erotic romance

Author M.Q. Barber

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Line-Neighborly-Affection-Barber-ebook/dp/B00IGFX5IA

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Website http://www.mqbarber.com

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/mqbarber

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mqbarber

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/mqbarber

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/author/mqbarber

What is it that you want,
but cannot have? Authors call this the conflict of the story.

I want to stop wanting Henry and Jay so much. Not the sex – the
sex is great. But it’s all arranged, and I’m supposed to follow the rules Henry
and I agreed to in our D/s contract. Lately, it just hasn’t been enough for me.
I see the way Henry treats Jay and I know it’s something more for them. I’m just
not sure – I mean, maybe I’m ready for that too. But I can’t have it, not if it
means taking something away from Jay.

What’s your internal limitation?
Meaning, what is it about you that makes it so you cannot do what it is you need
to do during this story?

I need to break things off with Henry and Jay. Or I need to submit
more fully to Henry’s dominance and trust he knows what’s best. It’s hard to know
which is the right choice. If I just had more data sets to work with, or if I knew
the materials – see, metals and plastics are easy. They work in predictable ways.
When I design something at work, I have all of the early tests in front of me, I
know the tolerances, I understand the shapes and how they function. But people?
People are tough. They don’t make sense. Henry and Jay are a happy couple. I don’t
know what I’m doing with them. I don’t know where I fit or what my function is –
or when it’ll come to an end.

What inner doubt causes
you the most difficulty?

That I’m stealing something that isn’t mine. Our arrangement
is set up so I submit to whatever Henry wants from me every other Friday. It’s just
sex, right? Super-satisfying, okay, and I’m learning things about myself and what
I like that I never would’ve known if I’d turned Henry down, but it’s strictly a
sex thing. Henry tells me I need to be honest with him, that a D/s agreement can’t
function without honesty, but how do I tell him that I have all this emotional junk
in my head when I agreed to the sex-only thing in the first place? Henry and Jay
are my best friends. I won’t ruin their relationship.

Tell us about your significant
other, that person who makes living worthwhile.

What, you mean Henry and Jay? They’re the significant people
in my life, and they’re fantastic. Henry makes me forget fears and doubts. When
I hand control over to him, I’m free. And Jay is such a sweetheart. He makes me
laugh when I need it. But you shouldn’t depend on other people to make living worthwhile.
You have to make that happen yourself. People change. They leave. Life is what it
is. You have to be able to go it alone.

Are you happy with the
way your story ended? Why or why not?

Yes and no. I learned a hard lesson that I’m still struggling
with. But I’m happy where I am now. I wouldn’t trade what I have for anything. I
just wish I hadn’t gotten what I wanted quite the way I did.

Why do you write?

Characters talk to me. Wherever I am, there’s a story going on
in my head. If I don’t write it down, it just goes ’round and ’round like a song
on repeat. Writing is how I keep insanity at bay.

What other character from
this book do you want to write about? Care to tell us why?

Two characters who show up briefly in Crossing the Lines have
been nagging me to tell their stories. They’re each struggling with painful emotions
that weigh them down. Both would like me to write about the happiest times in their
lives. The woman thinks hers are behind her. The man hopes his are ahead of him.

Are any sequels planned
for this book?

Yes. Henry, Jay, and Alice weren’t quite done with me yet. Their
story will continue in June with the third book in the Neighborly Affection series,
Healing the Wounds.

Is there anything you’d
like to say to your readers?

Thanks so much for inviting Henry, Jay, and Alice into your life!
I love being able to share their stories with you. If you want to tell me how I
did – good or bad – please email me or come visit me on social media. I’m always
thrilled to chat with readers.