New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author

So let’s talk about the term Ace…

So I get asked this question A LOT and was asked again last night so I figured I’d do a post on it. Why the term ACE? Why call Colton that when there was another series, Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series where Eva called Gideon Ace as well….So here’s my answer….

You know how sometimes something is in your head and you can’t get it out? That was the term ‘Ace’ to me. Every time I hear Rylee refer to Colton in that sarcastic, fck you way that she did at the beginning of Driven, I heard her use ACE. Now the catch is, I had read Bared to You. I honestly did not remember Eva calling Gideon, Ace. I truly did not. I had sent ARC’s out for Driven*…was waiting for feedback to come in and decided to pick up the 2nd book in the series…and that is when I realized–2 days before hitting publish–that Eva called Gideon Ace a lot…to the point where he even asks her why.

So then I was like…hmmm….crap. But here’s the thing…I was this little blip on the radar. My book was a ‘nobody’ compared to this awesome author Sylvia Day and her huge series…no way in a million years did I ever even think my book would be good enough to be compared to hers and her characters. Honestly. My thinking was, why can’t two authors use the same term toward their character? What’s the big deal?

Soooo I thought about it and short of changing the term, which I honestly was really against because it’s the only term in my head that I heard in Rylee and Colton’s verbal sparring, was to twist it somehow..make the ‘term of endearment’ if you will, mine. So the day before I hit publish on Driven, I went back and added the fact that it was an acronym. I had no idea where this was going to take me or the story–or how much people would hold on to it–but I added some scenes in.

Put it this way, it was so last minute that after the book was published, the bloggers who had received ARCs were PM’ing me asking me what in the heck the whole A.C.E. thing was because their copies did not have it.

Was I accused of copying Sylvia for using a single term? Yes I was. Some people refused to read the book once they read the term and I heard about it…A LOT. So much so that I changed a scene in Fueled because of it. I had finished Fueled, had sent it off to some beta readers and decided once again to pick back up with Eva and Gideon and read Entwined with You. There is a specific scene in EWY where Gideon tells Eva in so many terms as only he can, that he wants to fck her on the hood of his Aston Martin. Well insert the picture here of me with my mouth open. In the original version of Fueled, there was no sex on Sex. There was sex on the Aston Martin instead. Seriously. I immediately called up my two betas reading Fueled* and said WTF? I’m going to get accused of copying if I keep it in. They said it was a HOT scene and to leave it in, they’d back me up and say it was in the book before I’d read EWY…but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t risk being accused of copying since there had been enough comparisons of Driven with Crossfire and FSOG and I was trying really hard to make Fueled stand apart. Soooooo the sex on Sex scene was born. I’m glad I changed it now but at the time I was devastated.

Sooooooo to those of you who had that question…that’s the answer…

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Tracey Murphy says:

February 21, 2014 at 6:55 pm

I really love and admire you and your honesty and your books are truly incredible…..there is no,comparisons between your books and any others ….your books are absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Xxx

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Nancy Orcutt Seyboth says:

February 21, 2014 at 6:59 pm

We all define things differently. I can't believe people would not read a book because of one word. I love your Driven Trilogy A.C.E.

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Livier Goins says:

February 21, 2014 at 7:22 pm

I was re-reading the Crossfire series, just killing time until Crashed comes out (and I've re-read Driven and Fueled way too many times), and I read where Evan calls Gideon Ace. I was surprised because honestly, this was not something memorable to me in these books the first time around. I associate the term with Colton and Rylee completely. I know Sylvia Day is a great author and I love the Crossfire series, but when I read Driven for the first time, I asked myself: Gideon, who??!!!

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Sue G. says:

February 22, 2014 at 5:56 am

Well I can tell you that I read The Crossfire Series first. When I read your books I never once compared the two. Didn’t even realize the sharing of the term ACE. Or the sex on the car either! I think because the characters are so different it never crossed my mind.

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Tracey says:

February 22, 2014 at 7:50 am

Hi – As a soon to be self-published author of a memoir myself and an avid reader of adult romance novels, I can’t believe that I never made any connection with the use of ‘ace’ in both stories. In fact, I read the Crossfire Trilogy only a few months before I started Driven and Fueled. And just so you know, the nickname ‘ace’ was perfectly fitting for Colton and Rylie. After just reading your blog, I’m laughing to myself because I still can’t remember it mentioned in the other trilogy and yet, I am pretty sure I won’t be forgetting your association anytime in the near future – it was just so well-written in your scenes! Thanks for the honesty and the brilliance behind your use of his nickname! I can’t wait for Crashed already!!!

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Tessa says:

March 6, 2014 at 9:06 am

I just read your entire series and never once thought of the Cross Fire series. IMO your love story is in a whole different field. I loved, I cried, I laughed and I cheered. I could not put it down and nor did I want too. It ended and wrapped up nicely and I was so happy. Great stories that I will be rereading and urging other to read! Thank you!

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Shelley says:

March 9, 2014 at 8:04 pm

Thank you so much for your incredible story I loved it ! And here is something I am very happy about you finished your story of Colton and Ryle and I am tired of waiting for Sylvia Day to finish Eva & Gideons story I have lost interest ! So good Job

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Anonymous says:

March 9, 2014 at 9:54 pm

As an avid reader…I can honestly say your books are some of the best! Your story line is all your own. As a big fan of the crossfire series I will say I did not even once think of Eva and Gideon or the fact that she called him”ACE”. To touch a little bit on the whole sex on a car scene…lots of books have them so what its hot they are not all exactly the same and im sure lots of us appreciate the visual! The driven series was awsome and I cant wait to read about Beckett and Haddie!

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Lisa says:

September 26, 2014 at 4:50 pm

Kristy, You are most definitely as good if not better an author than Day! Do NOT pay attention to anyone who accused you of taking Ace away from Crossfire or refused to read your books because of it. That’s ridiculous, I can’t imagine A.C.E. not being in The Driven Trilogy, it’s the perfect fit for Colton, Rylee and Haddie. God, I love that acronym, every time I heard it after its meaning was revealed I LOL so, so much. First, as I’ve told you before you are so talented! Driven is a great read and I miss C&R terribly even after reading Raced. I hope you reach Days success better yet exceed it because you’re humble and not arrogant and treat your readers with the utmost respect unlike Day. You’re always honest and we respect that. YOU deserve it! Don’t sell yourself short, “Welcome to the Big Leagues” Kristy you made it!

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Rachel Z. says:

March 2, 2015 at 7:31 pm

Well, if not for Colton, I associate the term Ace with The Great Gatsby, not the Crossfire series.

Reply

New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author

So let’s talk about the term Ace…

So I get asked this question A LOT and was asked again last night so I figured I’d do a post on it. Why the term ACE? Why call Colton that when there was another series, Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series where Eva called Gideon Ace as well….So here’s my answer….

Put it this way, it was so last minute that after the book was published, the bloggers who had received ARCs were PM’ing me asking me what in the heck the whole A.C.E. thing was because their copies did not have it.

Sooooooo to those of you who had that question…that’s the answer…

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