Breakfall
by Kate Pavelle
Publication Date: June 27, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, LGBT, Romance
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Synopsis: Fall Trilogy: Book One
Sexual assault doesn't discriminate. Aikido instructor Sean Gallaway learns that when he falls prey to a violent stalker. Asbjorn Lund, a karate sensei on campus and a Navy vet, yearns to teach Sean how to survive. How to overcome. How to recover. Sean feels hunted and alone as the stalker escalates, testing his boundaries. With the entire dojo at his back, Sean resolves to play bait. He will catch the predator stalking him and reclaim his sense of self if it's the last thing he does. Yet Sean's hunger for justice clashes with Asbjorn's protective streak, and their budding romance might not survive their war of wills.
Sexual assault doesn't discriminate. Aikido instructor Sean Gallaway learns that when he falls prey to a violent stalker. Asbjorn Lund, a karate sensei on campus and a Navy vet, yearns to teach Sean how to survive. How to overcome. How to recover. Sean feels hunted and alone as the stalker escalates, testing his boundaries. With the entire dojo at his back, Sean resolves to play bait. He will catch the predator stalking him and reclaim his sense of self if it's the last thing he does. Yet Sean's hunger for justice clashes with Asbjorn's protective streak, and their budding romance might not survive their war of wills.
Excerpt
Sean didn’t know. He never tried it. Burrows-sensei disapproved of contamination by other martial arts.
“Contaminating aikido by other arts would make it too easy to resort to violence,” he said, repeating the word he heard so many times. “If you are defending yourself, and if your timing is right and you keep the principles in mind, all you have to do is trust the technique to work.”
The response to his rehearsed words was action. Strong arms on his biceps and hips against his hip.
Asbjorn pushed him roughly against the brick wall of the building next to them.
“Do something, Sean.” Asbjorn’s voice was calm.
Sean was pinned.
He curled his wrists in and attempted to raise his arms, but with his hips immobilized, it was impossible to use his whole body. He could not simply curl a man like Asbjorn. Frustrated, he stomped on Asbjorn’s foot.
Asbjorn smiled. “Sometimes, your style will be incompatible with the style of somebody else. You can also be smaller or physically weaker.”
The stubborn set of Sean’s jaw told Asbjorn he tried to resist the impending feeling of humiliation and defeat. Sean said, “You’re saying there’s nothing I can do.”
“No. I’m saying you have to learn a few dirty tricks.”
“I can’t use my hands.”
“You can use your head, though. I’m close enough for a head-butt. If you hit my nose with your forehead, I’ll let go right quick.”
Asbjorn loosened his grip on Sean’s arms and slid his large hands onto the rough surface by Sean’s head. He kept his hips pressed forward, his face buried in Sean’s hair, and seemed disinclined to move.
“Sean.” Asbjorn’s voice was but a whisper.
“What are you doing?”
There was a pause before Asbjorn broke the silence. “I’m wondering that myself.”
Sean didn’t know. He never tried it. Burrows-sensei disapproved of contamination by other martial arts.
“Contaminating aikido by other arts would make it too easy to resort to violence,” he said, repeating the word he heard so many times. “If you are defending yourself, and if your timing is right and you keep the principles in mind, all you have to do is trust the technique to work.”
The response to his rehearsed words was action. Strong arms on his biceps and hips against his hip.
Asbjorn pushed him roughly against the brick wall of the building next to them.
“Do something, Sean.” Asbjorn’s voice was calm.
Sean was pinned.
He curled his wrists in and attempted to raise his arms, but with his hips immobilized, it was impossible to use his whole body. He could not simply curl a man like Asbjorn. Frustrated, he stomped on Asbjorn’s foot.
Asbjorn smiled. “Sometimes, your style will be incompatible with the style of somebody else. You can also be smaller or physically weaker.”
The stubborn set of Sean’s jaw told Asbjorn he tried to resist the impending feeling of humiliation and defeat. Sean said, “You’re saying there’s nothing I can do.”
“No. I’m saying you have to learn a few dirty tricks.”
“I can’t use my hands.”
“You can use your head, though. I’m close enough for a head-butt. If you hit my nose with your forehead, I’ll let go right quick.”
Asbjorn loosened his grip on Sean’s arms and slid his large hands onto the rough surface by Sean’s head. He kept his hips pressed forward, his face buried in Sean’s hair, and seemed disinclined to move.
“Sean.” Asbjorn’s voice was but a whisper.
“What are you doing?”
There was a pause before Asbjorn broke the silence. “I’m wondering that myself.”
About the Author
Just about everything Kate Pavelle writes is colored by her life experiences, whether the book in your hand is romance, mystery, or adventure. Kate grew up under a totalitarian regime behind the Iron Curtain. In her life, she has been a hungry refugee and a hopeful immigrant, a crime victim and a force of lawful vengeance, a humble employee and a business owner, an unemployed free-lancer and a corporate executive, a scientist and an artist, a storyteller volunteering for her local storytelling guild, a martial artist, and a triathlete. Kate’s frequent travels imbue her stories with local color from places both exotic and mundane.
Kate Pavelle is encouraged in her writing by her husband, children and pets, and tries not to kill her extensive garden in her free time. Out of the five and a half languages she speaks, English is her favorite comfort zone.
What did Sister Sinister think of the book?
I give BREAKFALL 4 Stars!
* * * *
While the erotic romance between Sean and Asbjorn did not interest me (fans of Male/Male erotica, do not fear! The sex is steamy!), I still graded the book by the skill of the writing, the weaving of the story, and the believability of the characters. Most notably is the technical knowledge of various martial arts styles that the author displayed. Extensive to be sure, this book may not appeal to readers who get sidetracked by specialized or (possibly to the reader) foreign terms and/or words. But to anyone interested in, fascinated by, or educated in Japanese Martial styles, you will for certain get your jolly on reading this very well written novel, the first book in the "FALL" trilogy.
