Sex, Violence, and Profanity in The Topaz Brooch
The language in The Topaz Brooch is shocking.
But if you count up all the f-bombs, damns, and hells you have about 250 words spread out in a 282,000-word/758 page manuscript. Overall it’s a small number, but each word carries a punch, expresses emotion, and they are meant to be raw and intense.
The sex scenes match the intensity. To write sweet scenes or to “close the door” after what Rick and Penny experienced seemed unfair to them and to the story. They may be explicit but the scenes are character-driven. I don’t always like the way my characters act, but I try to let them stay true to themselves.
Readers, unless they read the book description, will be shocked by the change in tone. If you’re expecting milk chocolate, well you’ll get dark chocolate instead.
As a reader, you always have a choice. You can return the book, skip the “offending” pages, or sit back and enjoy the adventure. If every book was clean and sweet like The Amber Brooch, I would never grow as a writer or step outside my comfort zone.
I don’t think the sex is more descriptive than Kit and Cullen’s or Elliott and Meredith’s, or even Charlotte and Braham’s, but it’s the tone and language that makes this story raw and intense.
The reviews are mixed. One reader gave it five stars saying… “I have read all of Katherine Lowry Logan books in the MacKlenna series. This book is much longer and darker in tone than her others. I really like the direction the series is moving in. It gives an added twist to the storyline.”
While another reader gave it a one-star saying… “I love the storyline, but I’m not sure I’ll continue reading the series due to the language. It is very excessive. I could also do without the excessive sex and rape. The books don’t need it. The author is a talented writer.”
And another reader said, “…love your writing and this series and The Clan but it was too, I’m sorry, vulgar. The darkness, the language was acceptable to me but the sex was too nasty.
And another said, “This book was a change – a big stretch for this author. The riveting scenes of violence both personal and in war are amazing. New Orleans is the perfect setting, it inspires great words and beautiful strings of sentences – Katherine Lowry Logan does both masterfully. The steamy environment not only applies to the location but also to the characters. While this is new a new aspect – sex, some may have reservations. I thought about this quandary – it is there and it isn’t a major element – just different. This is a brilliant book and I look forward to the next 5. Katherine Lowry Logan has given us her readers a story that begs us to ask, When is the next one?”
I have never written, “to the market” or even readers’ expectations. I follow my muse and try to write the most exciting story I can. I considered removing the offensive words, but I just couldn’t do it. The characters demanded it. The situations demanded it. The story demanded it. It’s an intense story, and I hope readers read it as a whole without giving more weight to one aspect than the other.
Will the next story be as intense? I don’t know. It depends on where my muse takes me!
Hi, I absolutely love all of your books and impatiently await the next every time I finish with the last. Having quite literally just now finished reading The Topaz Brooch, over all it may be one of my favorites. I cried at the Jean’s sendoff and again at his letter. The language and violence didn’t bother me. This book was so dynamic in the way they were so close but yet kept missing one another and then happening upon each other later. Oh, and all the new knowledge as everything is starting to tie together!!! My only personal critique was… Read more »
Rick was so messed up and so impatient too. It was an extremely stressful time for him. Hopefully, we’ll see him continue to grow in the rest of the series as he gets emotionally settled. Readers were so mad at Jack but he settled into his new life. So we can have hope for Rick.
I have faith and eager to see that. :)