It occurred to me recently that there are a lot of terrible fathers in my books.
Chance Whitaker and Shain Ahren from the Matchmakers series are both ultimately disowned by their father (though the man does redeem himself later, but barely).
Remy Dawes from the same series is molested by his stepfather.
Adrian Frost from Ice on Fire is also disowned by his father when he’s caught with Zac.
Asher Arden from Heavens Aground is pushed off a boat in the middle of the ocean because his father didn’t want a gay son.
Then there are Hunter’s and Austin’s fathers, from the Transitivity series, which is a whole kind of twisted of its own.
And in an upcoming series, The House of Denmer…Well, I won’t give away the truly evil plot twist, but suffice it to say the father is a nasty piece of work.
There are the good ones, too (Zac’s father is really caring, and Kacey’s stepdad, Austin, is very loving and supportive), but it seems like the ratio weighs more heavily in favor of the bad guys.
Which is totally weird, considering my own father is just about the best dad a guy could ask for.
My dad is my rock. He’s been my biggest supporter all my life, encouraging me to go after the things I wanted, to pursue my passions, to find my happiness. He’s the one person who, when all else fails, I can always count on, whether it’s for help buying a car, the joys of packing and moving, a shoulder to cry on, or even just a fun movie date (superhero action films FTW!). He’s the person I can go to for advice or encouragement or to help me untangle a problem.
Two years ago today, he even went with me to the courthouse so I could have my name legally changed from Gabriela to Gabriel, because I was too nervous to go on my own.
I truly don’t know what I would do without the man who has always encouraged me to follow my dreams.
To all the great dads out there who love their kids and show it, I salute you all. You guys are rock stars.
G.R. LYONS, AUTHOR 