At five in the afternoon on a beautiful June Sunday in wine country, Christopher Blakehart and Crystal Murphy were married in the rose garden at Rancho Rosal Inn.
The bride wore a delicate gown of tapioca silk chiffon that enhanced and framed her baby bump — it’s romantic, Johnny had said, we’re not trying to hide it — with a handful of tiny palest-pink rosebuds pinned into her halo of curls.
The Bad Luck Opals were present for the ceremony, accompanied by notable groupie Amanda Joy Yarrow. Rising drag star Ripped Creme, who’d designed the bride’s dress, was there with partner Tab Galloway. Neither the bride’s parents nor the groom’s parents attended, but Angel’s parents had flown in for the occasion, considering Blade to be almost a son to them as well, and Dice’s father, an Episcopal priest, performed the ceremony. The Opals’ keyboardist, Carl Arascain, provided the music, including a rock-edged mashup of “Ode to Joy” and Blade’s theme from “Love Bound” as the happy couple signed the requisite papers after saying their vows, with Angel and Sally as witnesses and honor attendants.
“Arascain’s doing a nice job of the music. I could see recording a version of this, maybe as a collab with the Opals,” Eamonn said quietly to Nell. “But… you’d probably want jazz at your wedding.” It wasn’t quite a statement, nor a question.
She swallowed an odd lump in her throat. “I don’t know that I want a wedding,” she told him. “I hope my commitment to you is enough. If I’m letting myself do this, I mean it for life, you know — all in. The question is, do you need that signed in law and sealed in front of people?”
“You’re enough for me, Nella-bella, just as you are,” he assured her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.
She hesitated before bringing up the other thing, but had to say it. “I, uh, also don’t know how I feel about having children. I’ve always assumed I wouldn’t.”
He gave her a slightly wry grin. “I’m not asking for promises on that, either.” And she sighed in relief. “Would you wear a ring, if I got you one?” he asked.
“Maybe a silicone one,” she said. “Something I can wear while training. Not right away. But, you know, Christmas or something.”
“All right, then,” he said.
“You were just… negotiating the right to a future proposal, weren’t you?” she asked, with a surprised chuckle.
“You know, I kind of was,” he said. “A spend your life with me proposal, that’s all. No weddings required.”
She smiled. “Maybe in time, I’ll let you do the romantic thing. We’ll see.”
A Note From Kella
Thank you for reading Rock God in Exile. I have to admit that when I first introduced Easy as a disliked troublemaker in Rock Star’s Heart, I hadn’t planned to write his redemption story. But I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and the more I tried to understand him, the more I fell in love. I hope you’ve enjoyed being on that road with me.
What’s next? It’s drummer Dice’s turn to find happiness. I’m working on his story now — Dice has always been everyone’s little brother, but now he’s ready to step up and take his share of the spotlights.
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Finally, if you can spare the time to write a few words, a review on Goodreads or any major retail platform would be so greatly appreciated — it doesn't have to be long or fancy, just genuine and honest. A review is the best gift you can give an author and other readers.
Happy wishes,
Kella xox
Acknowledgments
This book was a challenge to write, and took more than twice as long as I’d expected. Thank you to everyone who waited patiently for it — I hope the wait was worth it.
Rock God in Exile is so much a product of my experiences in martial arts. To be clear, I’m nowhere near Nell’s skill level; I began as a white belt at 37 years old, and have often wondered or imagined what I’d be capable of now if I’d started as a child. But seven and a half years later, I’m preparing to test for my second-degree black belt in ATA taekwondo. That test will take place two days before this book is published.
This book would not exist without all those experiences, and particularly the encouragement and support of my instructor and friend Tiffany John, who not only answered (and demonstrated practical answers to) uncountable questions about self-defense, martial arts, and high-level competitions, but also helped me persevere when Rock God in Exile got hard to write, talked me through problems when I got stuck, and sat with me in library and coffee shop writing sessions to get the last bit done.
My teenage daughter, with whom I got into taekwondo in the first place, has listened to and encouraged me through the writing process. I’m profoundly lucky to have her and her little brother as my children, and to have a husband who always encourages me in my sport and my writing.
Jamie Stroud, drummer for Six Foot Cherry, talked to me about the role of the bass in a band, which was extremely helpful.
My brother Peter answered medical questions for me.
Heather helped me name Rancho Rosal Inn.
When I got my first tattoo in preparation for writing the tattoo studio scene in chapters 10 & 11, tattoo artist Justin Albrice answered my questions and let me take photos of his equipment setup. Taylor Beadell kindly read the relevant pages to confirm I’d got the mechanics of it right.
The vegan breakfast
