My books don’t mention alcohol or drugs at all. No one is sober or not drinking, nobody is sitting at a bar ordering a drink of any kind. Alcohol and drugs simply do not exist at all. My Google Fu has failed to help me find an official name for that, so I chose Sober-Safe, mostly because I really like alliteration. If you have a better term, especially something other people are actively using, holla at me.
WHY THOUGH?
First, because I feel like it. These are my books, my fictional made-up worlds, and as Cartman says, I do what I want. Second, due to the medication I’m on, I currently don’t drink, and after I worked on my friend’s non-alcoholic wine brand Joyus, I discovered that people in recovery can find mentions of addictive substances in books triggering. After I heard that, I realized that every romance book I’ve read (so far at least) contains at least one mention of drinking and/or drugs.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved most of those books and I wouldn’t want those authors to change a thing. And I can see how these substances serve as helpful plot devices. Even Romantasy books throw in some fairy wine or made-up mind-altering substances here or there. But the former advertising writer in me loves a challenge. If I can cram in a joke about how strong a cell phone carrier’s network is within a thirty-second radio commercial with ten seconds of legal and fifteen seconds of required retail messaging, I can write a book sans booze. And so I have. Two so far, actually. My second book is currently with my beta readers.
HOW THOUGH?
By literally never mentioning alcohol or drugs, ever. They simply don’t exist in my books. There are no bars, no toasts, nothing, nada, zilch. Occasionally, I have to catch myself if I imagine someone meeting at a bar. And since I write billionaire-style novels, these people tend to drink super fancy, super not sober-safe drinks. For many people, it’s part of the fantasy. And I totally get it. No judgment, really. But for the people who want to escape into the world of romantic fiction without worrying that it may hurt their recovery process, these books will work for you. I do, however, mention a lot of fancy coffees, which contain caffeine, because yum.
SO YOUR BOOKS ARE BORING AS HELL, THEN?
First off, rude. Second off, no. My books are plenty controversial. They have plenty of spicy, open-door sex scenes, because I personally enjoy them. They involve emotional issues like anxiety and childhood trauma, because I love exploring mental health and self-growth topics. They include topical issues such as climate change and gun violence because those stress me the heck out, and I enjoy fantasizing about hot billionaires solving those problems, so that’s what they do in my books. I’m manifesting it, okay? Jeff Bezos’ cash plus Pedro Pascal/Alexander Skarsgard looks plus hearts of gold = characters for my books. I’M GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE. You’re welcome.
SO WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR CHARACTERS DRINK FOR FUN?
My characters drink a lot of fancy sparkling water. Yes, sparkling water can be fancy. Have you tried those new Pellegrino Zeros? So good. A nice glass, a slice of fruit, a splash of color, and those drinks can feel as fancy as the boozy ones. Personally, I love to drink my friend’s non-alcoholic wine, available at www.drinkjoyus.com. No, I’m not an affiliate. And I don’t have my characters drink any non-alcoholic drinks like that, because if they drank something non-alcoholic, that would be acknowledging the existence of alcohol, which is a no-no for my books. I also like to combine different kinds of tea, and yes, I love me a fancy coffee drink.