Hi, dear reader,
I've decided to offer up a list of possible trigger warnings for my books. A lot has been said lately about this topic, so I'm not opening another debate, simply putting this list out there for anyone who wishes to check it before diving into my books.
Beware of potential spoilers, though! Some of the items on the lists below might give away parts of the plot.
I personally have several triggers (mostly related to kids, as I'm a mom of two with anxiety issues) that I avoid like the plague, so I definitely feel the need for this.
I included all the "common" triggers I could think of - related to violence, sexual assault etc. - but because some scenes in my books aren't triggering to me, I might have missed out on them. If you've read my books and feel like this list is missing any items, please email me at zoe (at) zoeashwood (dot) com, and I'll see what I can do.
Also, I write steamy romance, so it's safe for you to assume there's a lot of sex in my books! I don't write dark romance, either. I write happily-ever-afters, so my main characters always make it to the end, safe and sound.
You can find all my books with links here.
Clearwater Monsters
Stranded with the Kraken
- explicit sex
- tentacle play (they go...everywhere)
- monster f*cking
- pregnancy
- talk of breeding and heats
Snowed in with the Gargoyles
- explicit sex
- monster f*cking
- a menage relationship (MMF)
- pregnancy, talk of breeding
Starstruck with the Krampus
- explicit sex
- monster f*cking
- light bondage
- anal play
- pregnancy, talk of breeding
- the heroine gets grabbed by another man (attempted assault)
The Black Bear Clan Series
- explicit sex
- violence
- kidnapping
- mentions of human trafficking
- one of the heroines is kept as a prisoner (though treated well) for a portion of the book & her hero witholds some crucial information from her in order to keep his people safe
- mentions of past physical abuse
- mentions of past sexual abuse (inappropriate touching)
- murder
- blood
- knotting
- chase scenes
- mentions of infertility
- postpartum depression and death of a mother (off screen, but discussed, in Book 3, Her Orc Warrior)
- death of an animal (in Chapter 18 of Book 3, Her Orc Warrior, there's a short hunting scene where a deer dies on page - hopefully I managed to convey the proper respect to the animal)
- claustrophobia (in Her Orc Protector)
- field surgery
- for His Orc Lady: agoraphobia, death of a parent (in memory, detailed), parental (verbal) abuse and neglect, hiding secrets from significant other, mentions of infertility, explicit sex.
The Nora Moss Trilogy
- explicit sex
- violence
- death (of a secondary character)
- blood
- claustrophobia
- murder
- torture (of a main character)
The Sea Dragons of Amber Bay Trilogy
- explicit sex
- violence
- death (of a secondary character)
- blood
- verbal abuse (in the past)
The Ice Planet Rendu Trilogy
- explicit sex
- violence
- murder
- death (of a secondary character)
- kidnapping with implied sexual threat (of a main character)
- verbal abuse (in the past)
- severe illness (of a main character)
- accidents
The Norse Sea Dragons Duet
- explicit sex
- violence
- murder
- kidnapping (of a main character, of children)
- asphyxiation (of a main character)
- death (of a secondary character)
The Shift Series
- explicit sex
- violence
- murder
- assault with sexual implications (of a main character)
- death (of a secondary character)
- kidnapping (of a main character)
- gun violence
- torture (of a main character)
- anxiety
- PTSD
- manslaughter
Wow, this really brings home how much drama I put in my books, haha! Anyway, if you feel like something's missing from my list, please feel free to let me know. And I'll keep the list updated with information on future releases.
I want everyone to feel safe and excited when reading my books, and if this helps you relax, I'm here for you. <3
xo, Zoe