Saturday, August 17, 2013

COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY - THE OLD STAR by ELODIE PARKES

Hi Hunter,

Thank you for inviting me to your fabulous blog to celebrate the release of my erotic romance, The Old Star with a cover reveal.

The love story has paranormal threads, a little mystery and magic, it’s erotic and I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I loved writing it.
The idea came to me when I was working. Sometimes in my job I have to travel to places where an antique has been offered for sale to the place I work. I had to go look at a chaise longue that was in a semi derelict house. The place was going to be demolished and so I was to buy the item, get it loaded in the truck and bring it back to the store. The guy selling it was just lovely. He and another hunk loaded the chaise longue into the pick-up for me. I’m small and slim so I generally get the help, but this guy was extra helpful and yummy. (Pity we passed each other like ships in the night). The house was spooky and the chaise longue, although needing reupholstering, was great. On the way back to work the story of ‘The Old Star’ dropped into my head. The title had been with me for a few weeks after I saw an old building with that name plaque hanging off the ruins, next to a burned out barn.

Here’s the blurb for the book.

The Old Star

She was looking for new office space...but it found her…what’s hidden in this spooky place?

When Cathy Faraday goes out from her office to buy morning tea, a set of circumstances send her on a different route from the one she would normally take. Waiting on a street unknown to her is a house. Old and left to fade away the house looks shabby against its neighbors. The whole row of houses are now offices and Cathy sees a ‘for let sign’ outside the place. Something draws her to the house. Someone watches from the third floor window.
Cathy applies to rent the building to expand her dating agency business. As she begins to make it ready, the house reveals its secrets.
Erotic romance, with a twist of paranormal, set in contemporary England this story will haunt you.
Graphic sex/love scenes. 18+ only.


It’s releasing from Hot Ink on Kindle August 23, so look out for it, and check my blog for the buy links.
In the meantime, here is the cover reveal and a chance to enter the prize draw:



Here’s an excerpt, 18+ R rated

She was looking up into his eyes and as he kissed her, she put her arms up around his neck. ‘She likes me, she wants me.’ He kissed her until she was pressing her whole body along his. He nuzzled her neck and realized he was so enjoying her kiss, her touch, and that there was something real about this. ‘It’s not using her if I like her too…’
He sucked at her neck and felt her move to him. He held her face to his and whispered against her lips. “Cathy, I want you so much…”
She murmured back to him between kisses. “I want you too. I’m shocked by it. I wouldn’t normally fall into making out with the painter. Sorry, I meant so soon, as soon as….I met him...”
He smiled and kissed her again. He hugged her close. “I’m not just the painter, though Cathy. I do know the family you rent this place from.”
She was tracing her fingertips up and down his spine and she stopped.
“Do you? So that’s why you can come and go the way you do.”
He nodded not wanting to get to that part of his story yet.
He kissed down her neck again and slowly moved his hands up into her T-shirt. He found her bra and unclipped it as she sighed, and kissed his ear and jaw. He cupped her breasts and sighed too. She felt so good, her skin so soft, her nipples hard against his palms. He went back to kiss her mouth, and as she opened it to touch his lips with her tongue, he groaned a little enjoying the kiss. His cock hardened and he left her breasts to open her jeans. She kissed him and unzipped his jeans as he unzipped hers.
She had her hands in his shorts and her fingertips were cool on his cock. He wanted to thrust so badly, but he wanted his fingers against her clit. He wanted to slip a finger into her and feel the moistness, have her thrust on his hand and so he whispered. “Help me. Pull your jeans down…open your legs a little. I want my fingers in you, Cathy.” She pulled her jeans to mid-thigh and took her panties with them. She put her hands up around his face and kissed him, her tongue in his mouth as he fingered her. She was gasping and so was he. Their kisses interspersed with it.
“You feel so good…” He murmured.
She made a little sound and answered him. “It feels great, it’s delicious. Owen there are people in the house. What if they come in search of me?”
Owen felt his cock straining against his clothes.
He nibbled her lips. “I need you badly.” He was circling her clit with his thumb and working his fingers in her. She began to thrust on his fingers and held his waist hard. It made him smile against her lips as her fingers pressed hard into the sides of his body. Suddenly she was groaning softly, her mouth by the side of his. Her hips thrust and he realized she was coming. Knowing this made him harder and he groaned as she finished. He held her for a few moments waiting to judge if he should pull her down onto the floor and fuck her. His thought sent spikes of desire into his cock and up between his legs.
Cathy took his fingers gently from her body. She kissed his lips and then she pulled his jeans and shorts down to his knees. He helped her thinking she would back him against the window and straddle him, but she dropped to her knees and took his cock into her mouth.
****

Copyright Elodie Parkes 2013
****

I’m running a celebration prize draw because I am so excited about this book.
First Prize, WIN a $25 Amazon gift voucher to buy what you want and the kindle copy of ‘The Old Star’ gifted from Amazon

Second prize, WIN a kindle copy gifted from Amazon of both ‘The Old Star’ and ‘The Winter Girl’ the latest release erotic romances.
Lily Prescott is only just over a relationship break up when she decides to take up residence in a house left to her by her recently deceased grandmother. Her corporate law job takes a back seat as she licks her wounds in the small country town. She looks around the main shopping street and discovers people who will befriend her, but she also runs into the town’s most eligible bachelor and secret bad boy, Starr Forrester.
Loved for his lifelong association with the town, Starr hides his methods for staying single well from his friends. He’s nearly thirty, gorgeous, a designer, owns a business and on the lookout for his ‘Winter Girl’….
Will it be Lily? What is a ‘Winter girl’?
Fun, sex, romance and a little twist of the paranormal, makes this a must read erotic romance.

Third prize, WIN the kindle copy gifted from Amazon of ‘The Last Time’
Steamy, erotic romance with a twist of mystery. Actor Seth Carbery swears he will never fall in love again, that is until he meets private detective Bethany Snow.
Something strange is going on. Seth and other members of the movie cast and crew are receiving threatening letters, but no threat has ever been carried out... yet. Bethany Snow is sent on location by the Black Agency to investigate, and guard Seth Carbery against danger.
The case is not what it first seems and even when Bethany thinks it could be over, a new twist means she becomes a target.
Seth and Bethany find they can’t keep their hands off each other.
Who is sending the letters and why? Does Seth have a secret admirer or stalker?
With steamy romance, graphic love scenes, and a quirky story of what people do for love this erotic romance is for adults only.

ALL prizes are international. Please enter via the rafflecopter and leave the address your prize would be gifted to if you win one of the three prizes. Choose any of the entry requirements not all.

here’s the embed code for the copter

a Rafflecopter giveaway


From Elodie

Just a little about me to let your readers know who I am.

I live in the United Kingdom and I work in an antiques shop as well as writing. I have two dogs that keep me fit with their need for walks. I love the countryside and the coast.
I write romance, contemporary, and erotic with a twist of mystery, suspense, or the paranormal, now and then. I like to make the story unusual in some way, by a quirk in the tale. My books are always steamy.

Find Elodie online:

http://elodieparkes.blogspot.co.uk
http://melodyelodie.tumblr.com/
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/2586-elodie-parkes
http://about.me/elodie_parkes
http://www.hotinkbooks.com/hot-ink-authors.html
http://www.eternalpress.biz/people.php?author=540
http://www.moonrosepublishing.com/#!elodie-parkes/cio5
http://www.manicreaders.com/ElodieParkes/
http://www.facebook.com/ElodieParkes

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Jinni James Guest Blog - SHIFTING HEARTS

Shifting Hearts
Re-release of The Wolfs Maine



Shifting Hearts



BLURB:
(Re-release of The Wolfs Maine)
Avalon felt like her life was set on repeat. Every new day was just like the one before until Avalon's friends talk her into venturing out and leaving her dead end relationship behind. Little did she know that she would meet her soul mate face to face and that he would ignite a desire in her that she never knew existed.

John had been watching over Avalon ever since her parents died when she was three but she had no clue. She had only been talking to him online for a year. She slowly learns that there is a whole world and a whole story she had not known about involving every one she knows and cares for.

Her boyfriend Nicholas is not the man she thought him to be, if he is a man at all and John seems to be more than he lets on as well.

Avalon soon discovers the hidden truths but can she handle it? With Nicholas seeking vengeance can John and her friends help her?

EXCERPT

"Nicholas! Have you lost your mind?!" He walked over to stand in front of me.
 "Why of course not Ava. Isn't that what you let him call you?"
 My heart was beating out of my chest.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why the man you are seeing. You let him call you Ava right?
"You can't keep things from me Avalon. I know it all."
I had no clue what to say, none at all. Do I confess or lie? I might as well confess since he seems to know or is he just playing me to get answers? What do I do?
"What are you thinking about now? What to tell me? How to tell me you’re seeing someone else and want to leave me, that you know damn well I won't let you do? Want to tell me that is who you were with all day today when you should have been at home?" All I could do was stutter.
"Who? What? How?" His hand was reaching up and wrapping around my throat as he got closer to me and whispered in my ear.
"Because my dear I know it all. I can find out anything. You just ended your own life." I gasped as he threw me towards the broken wine rack that I fell right on top of. Glass punctured my hands as I hit the floor. He started towards me but I couldn't get up, all I could do was crawl my way backwards.
My life was over. Nicholas was surely going to kill me; I could see it in his eyes. He was towering over me all 6'4” of him, he bent down and clasped my throat in his hands. As I looked into his eyes all I could see was rage. It almost looked as if his eyes were turning red. He was beginning to squeeze my throat tighter, I could feel the panic throughout my body but there was nothing I could do.
He had me pinned to the ground, I couldn't move and now I couldn't breathe........

AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:
Jinni James lives in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband, her two precious daughters, her awesome step-daughter, her cat and her dog. She works during the day as an administrative assistant and at night after she is finished with her day she sits down to become the author she has always dreamed of becoming.  She started her first book The Wolfs Maine back in 2011, which has now been re-released as Shifting Hearts and hasn’t looked back since.  She stays pretty busy with her full life but she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

BUY LINKS:



Saturday, July 20, 2013

GilesFest 2013

Please join me in welcoming the lovely and talented GL Giles to Exile on Peachtree Street! GL has dropped to let us know more about her release, Water Vamps, released as a 2nd Edition via Black Wyrm Publishing. Here's some insight into this imaginative and very original YA novel:


Water Vamps by GL Giles
Cover Art by Victor Sweatt

Take a both fun-filled and treacherous ride into the waters surrounding the peninsular city of Charleston, South Carolina with G.L. Giles’s water vampires. Slake your thirst for different vampire species and subspecies at the same time! On dry land, you’ll also experience a part of Charleston, South Carolina (set primarily in the 1980s)---from White Point Garden to The Battery to the surrounding marshes, complete with plough mud and fiddler crabs---atmospherically rich with the inherent tapestry of the Carolina Lowcountry and then embellished with a healthy dose of dark fantasy! With several species of vampires in the mix, conflicts naturally arise. Add to that, some of the various species of vampires, as well as some of the humans, also have potentially fatal run-ins with some of the specters and shape-shifters found in this young adult novella as well. More than just peppering the plotline are the mostly human protagonists, Robyn and Marion, who are like contemporary versions of Robin Hood and Maid Marian in many ways---that is, with Robyn being a female and Marion a male in Giles’s mythology---and the ‘young love’ version to boot, as they’re middle school kids. Yet, unlike other children their age, they have special ‘gifts’ and a lot of responsibility for those so young in years. You see, they have the distinct burden, squarely placed upon them, of being the only ones who can save their older counterparts from another place and time: Setiana and Vasario.

Look at just a few excerpts from the reviews of Water Vamps. This is what readers are saying about Water Vamps and GL Giles...

"A new kind of vampire is created in Water Vamps and Giles fascinates readers with those differences."

"I think (Bram) Stoker would be well pleased to see this 'new breed'.

"Anyone who writes like this and can create such a unique twist on the vampire mythos makes me happy to read more and anxious to see what she writes next."

You can connect with GL Giles at the following social media sites. Be on the lookout for upcoming news on her next release! She's definitely one author you will be seeing more of in the future.

Water Vamps Facebook
Facebook
Twitter



Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Love Is Never Past Tense

Love is Never Past Tense


The events described in the book occur amidst complicated changes in the political and economic system of the former Soviet Union. This is a period of great turmoil for the country and the people. A period of many broken destinies, and uprooted lives.





 The book weaves its story within the discord of the country. Fear is growing, an animal fear. There remains only one way--emigration. An evacuation without bombing and without the ability to come back, the author writes. You cannot give a better definition.





The rest you will need to read. Because of this, the book delivers multifaceted, versatile content in huge volume to the reader’s range of vision. In some special moments, the author makes us breathless, frantic with worry, and hoping to relax if a satisfactory solution of the situation arrives.









The Book Blast will have a tour wide Giveaway for all blogs





From August 26th through 31st Love is Never Past Tense will Blast across the internet.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Paranormal Romance Kindle Book Event


July 20 - 21
Paranormal Romance
Kindle Book Event

Check out the authors already confirmed. More info soon...



Thursday, May 23, 2013

Sunday, May 5, 2013

The Rosie Skulls Originally Published via FoxtonFiles


Originally published via Foxton Files, May 4, 2013

http://abbiefoxton.com/2013/05/04/the-rosie-skulls/ 

An Interview with

Fables Of The Reconstructionauthor

Hunter S. JonesFables

Abbie Foxton picks brains and swaps recipes with the Queen of Zombie Erotica.

Greetings to you Pomba Gira Molambo – much respect!
When I told workmates that I was reading a most intriguing tale of zombie sex, life & death set in Steampunk London, jaws dropped and an eerie silence filled the kitchen.  I couldn’t begin to describe to them how this novella affected me. How quickly it was devoured… how much I needed it.
I made some grunting noises, dragged my arse back to my bench and assumed the position – to my day in, day out .  This scenario seemed so much more dire because of this book. Hunter S Jones filled me with a passion fire. This book changed my life.
Fables Of The Reconstruction is more than what it seems. It will cast a spell. In what form that manifests itself, will be up to the reader – it’s a personal thing. For me, it was the beginning of an old pursued passion, something long forgotten – a dance into the underground to expose the magic within.
I’m glad it didn’t take the heart of a virgin dove, a snake head and some Laudanum to convince The Huntress to be with us today. Her Southern charm and lust for life, shine even through the ether. Her blog Exile On Peachtree Street -another musical reference – is a homage to The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street.  This was an album that received it’s accolades in retrospect, but was always a darling of musos and journos around the world. This album is one of Hunter’s favourites.  The Peachtree bit? Well, that’s a reference to her current digs in Atlanta Georgia.rosie skulls
Coincidentally,  Hunter lives not far from the Pulitzer Prize winning author Margaret Mitchell. MM’s little book, Gone With The Wind  – with it’s heroine Scarlett O’Hara, who fiddle dee dee’d while Tara burned -  is a wonderful connection to make with Ms Jones – strong in mind and character, as Mitchell was – and it is a thrill to share the page with her.
“Thanks  Abbie and thank you for having me on your blog today”. – See what I mean, a beautiful spirit (and she says ‘she is the one your mother warned you about!’ well…she still may be right about that)
In this hectic 21st Century we inhabit, full time writing is a luxurious pastime. Indie authors often have their nine to five before they even attempt to nut out a plot. An exhausting existence. It is fundamentally the life of a loner – or at least someone who likes to spend the bulk of their waking hours in their own company and thoughts. It owns and controls you. It becomes obsession. Writers make sacrifices, but in itself, the writing process can be very selfish.
It was time for Ms Jones to be in a luxurious position. Due to a  severe Achilles injury, Hunter had to make a choice.  Her situation put her in a classic ‘T’ – two paths to go down.cigarello hunter
“Was it a quick decision for you to turn your unfortunate predicament into a positive experience?”
“The decision to write following my accident was something I saw as an opportunity. I had been having dreams about Pierre for years and decided to begin writing them down”.
Monsieur Pierre von Minzle is the most ‘gorgeous’  Belgian Zombie ever to walk London’s Whitechapel circa 1890. His sexual prowess and spell over the insatiable prostitute and partner in brain crime, Mary Montague, will sizzle your mind and make it very hard for you to walk. quimMinzle’s forked tongue – an added bonus to quivering quims.
“From there, the story ofFables Of the Reconstruction developed – The working title was Fables Of The Reconstruction Of My Leg. So, there is a hidden meaning there, too”.
“Well, It’s good to see you had some humour during your ordeal, takes time to heal and you probably felt a little like a Zombie reanimating – learning to walk, like Bambi taking his first steps?”
“In your storytelling style throughout Fables…, it feels like you are paying homage to one of your favourite authors Anne Rice, in that you use an interview style like narrative – character’s thoughts in first person that have a journalistic rhythm – Hunter as reporter, but not as Gonzo as her namesake. Was this approach a conscious take to reveal the story or just channeled naturally?”
“The story began as Pierre watching Mary Montague’s every move. Then, watching all the characters – something of an all seeing – all knowing point of view. My editor felt it was too complicated for an author who had no audience, so the story developed in the first person format”.
“A omnipotent voyeur would have made his character even more powerful, too potent.  He is a most magnificent creation.”
“You couldn’t have picked a more seductive, strange and powerful diety for your Fables…than Pomba Gira. What was the lure that chose you to her or her to you?”
“While researching Voodoo, Pomba Gira kept appearing. So, I began researching Her. She is revered in African, Spanish, Portuguese and in some Haitian and Santeria cults. She is also the Goddess of the Guitar. Being from Nashville, there was nothing to do but dedicate my first book to her and weave her in, in some fashion, throughout Fables…”
“Many of your ideas come to you in dreams and in water. This imagery conjures a birth of ideas. Dreams I get, but what is it about the water?”
“I really don’t know, but an idea can appear to me even when I’m doing something as simple as washing dishes”.
“I can’t see you washing dishes. I just envisage you sitting on the porch with your black lace fan, writing, sipping mint juleps. Talking of visions… that cover! It is what initially drew me to your work. Great design.”
“Robin Ludwig does all my artwork and design layout. Her talent and insight are amazing. For Fables… cover, I sent her three pictures and let her know the colour scheme had to be black-white-red”
red candles 1“What is the significance of the colour scheme?”
“My three favourite colours and Pomba Gira’s colours are red & black. So it was a no brainer (pun intended). Robin returned the draft to me THAT afternoon. She so understands my vision”.
The novella is such a seductive size to read, an hour of your time and your lost in the lamplight. It is a  perfect vehicle  for Hunter’s  words, well at least for the time being. When I think about Zombies in film, literature and cultures around the world, they are usually linked with the deprived. A history linked with slavery and voodoo cults. InFables Of the Reconstruction no one is spared. Hunter  has joined the upper and under classes ‘in this undead world together’ The English author   R.J Askew – on reviewingFables…http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/571539912 – asked the question ‘perhaps life makes Zombies of us all’. A demanding life to devour more. An observation that Hunter agrees. But don’t think that that reality  lessens the erotic rumblings that rage on every page.
“The sex you describe is mind blowing! And you don’t muck around. I suppose being a novella there was no time to waste. Did you challenge yourself to see just how ‘down and dirty’ you could go?”
“No…There was no challenge. It was that crazy Pierre! But really, can you write about prostitutes and not include sex?
“A little bit of a challenge”. ‘Mary made the bed then went to the kitchen to make tea’…”Maybe? …not as fun though as your Zombie ladies of the night”.
“You are somewhat of an anglophile. One gets a feel you know and have a historical sense of the place – it’s mood and cadence -  all cogs,  leg o’muffin sleeves and corsets. Is this an era that you are fascinated with or does it go into a deeper past?”
“I’m not sure, Abbie. I just wanted to find a place where today’s zombies could be born. Victorian Whitechapel seemed a logical choice, so I emailed one of the top zombie experts in the UK and asked him if it would be feasible for today’s zombies to originate and hide out in Whitechapel. His reply was a one word email that said…Brilliant!”
I want that job, Zombie expert! What a pick-up line.
“You paint strong  female characters, even the less fortunate Polly Poppet knows what she wants. I see strong woman references all around you from your blog to other characters you have created.”
“That’s probably due to my Cherokee ancestors. The independent nature of the Cherokee woman is legendary. Maybe some traits are inherited. Or, maybe those traits come through in my stories. The old story is that if you can find a reason to make a Cherokee woman stay with you, you’d better take it because she’ll move on to the next opportunity.”
“The Cherokee spirit comes to the fore in your flash fictionTales Of The New Amsterdam: The Legend. The ‘no limits… ‘ lust explosion of Suzie and Tommy was mesmerising. I love flash! They enter the bloodstream like a quick fix. Susie (also Cherokee) talks of the act of ‘taking your blanket’, if you feel compelled to take a new lover you are free to take that blanket to another man – no guilt?”Tales 1
“The women were allowed to move on if a man didn’t fulfill his obligations to her or if he was found unsuitable, She could move on to a more acceptable mate. They didn’t have the cultural/societal mores that we have today. Their’s was a matriarchal society were the women made the decisions at every level.”
“Do you have an animal totem?”
“The Hawk. The Crow, The Hummingbird. The Cat. Three others will be revealed to me during life’s journey”.
“…and if you carried an amulet, what would you have in it?”
“LOVE”
That leads us on to A Celtic Tapestry.  Eight female authors, eight Celtic festivals and a story on each. Hunter’s Magic In Memphis is a folktale of traditions, ritual, respect, reflection, beauty and ancestor worship. Honouring the eternal cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. James Departs is one of the most perfect paragraphs I have ever read. Her partners in fiction equally mesmerising.
“Voodoo to Celts, similarities in the ancient practices of runes, talismans and spells. These sub cultural practices have a link wouldn’t you say”.
“Yes, all the ancient beliefs appear to have many components in common. It’s very fascinating to study them.
“Your book Fables Of The Reconstruction is taken from the same title of the brilliant 1985 release from fellow Georgia band REM. The flip-side label to that release wasReconstruction Of The Fables – a double homage with your second book release taking on the title. How is that progressing?”
“It’s on hold for a while because Pierre hasn’t given me any insight recently. Plus, I’m involved in a couple of great projects that are taking place – tell you all about them soon.”
“REM’s  Can’t Get There From HereDriver 8 – love it!”
champagne hunterFables Of The Reconstruction is one of the greatest albums of all time” agree. “There isn’t a bad song on that album. It is so complex, so layered, so beautiful. Words, imagery, music…it’s all there. Supposedly, one of the meanings is the deconstruction of literature. It’s just so deep.”
The Indie scene plays a big part in Hunters life. Indie authors and Indie music, it’s the “Independent rebelliousness of it all” that attracts Hunter and you can find her music and writing on ExPats post http://expatspost.com/?s=Hunter+S.+Jones. Creativity is more without guidelines. And, as the boys from Athens Georgia blurted ‘Philomath they know, they low down’
“So, I’ve heard in past lives, that writers were once circus performers – I’m thinking Hemingway as lion tamer, Shakespeare being shot out of a canon and Steinbeck trying to sweep Weary Willie -like, his spotlight into a dustpan. What was your act, your trick.”
“The Trapeze.”

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Sexy Seven Saturday from A Celtic Tapestry

Sexy Seven Saturday from +Hunter S. Jones #sexy7snippet from Magic in Memphis, the Yule story in A Celtic Tapestry:

Is this drink to discuss work, or are you inviting me to meet you for a drink after work?”
A chair squeaked in the background and James lowered his voice.
“I have to see you again. It doesn’t matter if it’s only for a drink. We can go to dinner. We can do whatever you want to do.
I just need to see you again.”

Thursday, May 2, 2013

About.Me

http://about.me/huntersjones1

Totally cool site for creatives. You can add all your social media sites AND link to your Amazon sites, your blog, your website...EVERYTHING. It's one stop for all your media. Check it out.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

May is National Zombie Appreciation Month?

Saturday, April 27, 2013

I Would Be Your Slave

“If you ever looked at me once with what I know is in you, I would be your slave.”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Please join me in welcoming I.J. Miller to Exile on Peachtree Street. Miller is the author of five, distinct, literary, erotic works of fiction: SEESAW was translated into two languages, with over 130,000 copies in print; WHIPPED appeared in both English and German; SEX AND LOVE, a collection of short stories, made its debut in the summer of 2011; CLIMBING THE STAIRS, a novella, was released just a year later. His latest novel, WUTHERING NIGHTS, is an erotic retelling of Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights, and is published by the Grand Central Publishing imprint of Hatchette Books. It is available now as an e-book and will be in bookstores as a trade paperback and audio book on April 23. Miller has a Master of Fine Arts from the American Film Institute and has taught creative writing and screenwriting at the university level.




The following previously appeared in The Huffington Post, April 23, 2013...

AN EROTIC HISTORY

by I.J. Miller

The year was 1970 B.E.L.J. (Before E.L. James) and I was a freshman in high school. Midnight Cowboy (1969) had just become the only X-rated movie ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture, foreshadowing a decade of sexually bold expression. In literature, there were uninhibited erotic books like The Happy Hooker (1971), Fear of Flying (1973), My Secret Garden (1973), Delta of Venus (posthumously published in 1977) that helped pave the way for the quality sensual writing available today. All of this explicit material sizzled on the page, but, like the films of that era, earned their mainstream success because of their intelligence and good writing.

During the eighties there was a wide gap between what was mainstream and what was underground. Thanks to the writers of the previous decade, if a book was erotic, well-written, and told a good story it would be marketed as a literary book. My first novel, Seesaw (1983), written using my real name, is a graphic recounting of a high school teacher’s dominant/submissive affair with a student, yet it was released with the rest of the hardcovers that winter season, translated into two languages, and reviewed by the L.A. Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and Library Journal.

At the other end was loosely plotted, explicit erotic fiction focused mainly on titillation, usually found in adult bookstores located in the seedy part of town, with mostly men slipping quietly through its side doors. This erotica, similar to some of the material published now, would sometimes have a pseudo-analysis included, written by a so-called psychiatrist, in order to avoid a pornography charge. Can you imagine Dr. Phil checking in at the end of your next erotic read?

In the early nineties I started a family, worked full time to make ends meet, while I labored on the side to write. Despite the financial struggles many experienced during this period’s tenuous economy, the increasing affordability of home VCRs caused the near disappearance of XXX adult theaters, the flourishing of sex videos over books in adult bookstores, and the appearance of bold Main St. rental locations with large X-rated video sections. Mostly men seemed to support this hardcore side, perhaps because they tend to be more visual, or the material was targeted directly at them, or because there were fewer stigmas when a man rented a dirty video.

At the same time, chain bookstores exploded at malls and airports, many with discreet sections called Erotica, housing softcore fiction appealing mostly to women. The annual Best American Erotica (beginning in 1993) and The Mammoth Book of Erotica (1994) are two anthologies that helped inspire the numerous erotic short story collections that are still popular today. Although the female audience for this material widened, I suspect it was limited by the very public walk from the Erotica shelves to the cash register.

The first decade of the twenty-first century seemed almost as conservative as the early sixties. An X-rating for a movie was the kiss-of-death at the box office. Major publishers shied away from mainstreaming explicit sexual material at first, whether it was well-written or not. Then along came Print-On-Demand technology and the explosion of E-books, which opened up vast opportunities with self-publishing and independent presses. The erotica market grew in leaps and bounds. More people could produce sexy books on their own and make them available at a nominal cost. Most significantly, on-line purchasing did for erotic books what VCRs and now Movies-On-Demand did for X-rated videos. It allowed men and women to buy this material discreetly and read it in the privacy of their own homes...although it still seemed to be mostly women filling up their E-readers with erotic stories about hung cowboys and sexy threesomes.

Despite the boom in erotic writing, it wasn’t quite out of the closet. Major publishers developed small erotic imprints, but focused more on other genres. Many traditional and self-published authors used pseudonyms. This material, with its bold, racy covers, whether E-book or not, was rarely reviewed in mainstream periodicals or carried by libraries. The orthodox rabbi of my town had checked my first novel out of the local library in 1984, provocative cover and all. But during this decade the same book wouldn’t even get through the front door.

No one could’ve predicted the 2011 perfect storm known as FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. It started by capitalizing on the independent press/print-on-demand/e-book model then grew through social media marketing and huge word-of-mouth. Author E.L. James fulfilled a classic female fantasy: the wealthy, alpha-male, tragic hero who sweeps a young girl off her feet with inventive dominance. It went against the trend of an explicit cover, opting for one that made the novel easier to review anywhere and read in public. In April, 2012 a mainstream press bought the rights and suddenly it was everywhere. The result: major publishers continue to develop their own erotic imprints, but also scour the internet to sign self-published writers to nourish this feeding frenzy. Now even your aunt is writing erotica and consumers (still mostly women) are buying truckloads of books. All of the attention is attracting a wide range of authors and the quality of some of the writing is at an all-time high.

The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon also helped inspire a sub-genre: the erotic mashup...which led to my writing of Wuthering Nights, an erotic retelling of the Emily Bronte classic Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is surely the original tragic, alpha-male hero and his intense relationship with the fiery Catherine lends itself perfectly to having a few more layers peeled back through sensual lovemaking and creative BDSM.

But perhaps now, thanks to E.L. James, libraries will carry this work, my local newspaper will review it, I can someday soon go back to using my real name, and those who still prefer a paperback won’t feel compelled to buy a greeting card they don’t want in order to cover the erotic novel they’re bringing to the cash register.

You can connect with I.J. at the following links. I promise you won't regret it in the morning.

Website: http://www.ijmiller.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Heathcliffian

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ij.miller.5

Goodreads: http://http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4841217.I_J_Miller

I.J. Miller's buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wuthering-Nights-Retelling-Heights-ebook/dp/B00AG0VMWO/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1364924178&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: http://http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wuthering-nights-ij-miller/1113763182?ean=9781455573028

Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/emily-bronte/wuthering-nights/_/R-400000000000000926349#productCustomerReviews

Thursday, April 25, 2013

#secretproject

#secretproject sitting on something really big--can't wait to tell u more!

— HunterSJones (@HunterSJones101) April 25, 2013">




Friday, April 12, 2013

Someday

Someday, I will wake up and you will not be on my mind.
One day, there will be an entire day when thoughts of you won't distract me from what I should be doing and saying and thinking.
But, that day is not today.

1:07 AM
April 12, 2013

Monday, April 1, 2013

J. Thorn: Meet Hunter S. Jones

J. Thorn: Meet Hunter S. Jones: I found Hunter S. Jones through Twitter. After reading Fables of Reconstruction, I was immediately hooked by her unique blend of myth and...

Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Celtic Tapestry - HOT New Anthology from Moon Rose Publishing



Eight authors, eight Celtic festivals...all woven into one tapestry.
A Celtic Tapestry.
Welcome to the official release of A CELTIC TAPESTRY!



The wheel of the year turns, bringing the joy of spring, the warmth of summer, the richness of autumn, and the merriment of winter. But eight Celtic festivals link these seasons together, bringing with them romance, lust, danger, and even magic. From a city under threat from night-time creatures at Ostara, to a selkie caught by the light of the Lughnasadh moon, to a writer caught in the flames of a fiery goddess at Imbolc.
Eight authors have come together to give their own twist on these festivals, weaving each story with a blend of myth, magic, and contemporary telling…to create A Celtic Tapestry.

 photo ACTfrontcover_zps2ee76d17.jpg

Crimson Beat--Elle J Rossi
In Nashville, Ostara night is filled with monsters...and only one woman can take them on.

Beltane Fires--Livia Ellis
Deep in the Irish countryside, a witch takes over as Mother of her coven. Will a 'wink at the moon' love spell give her what she most wants?

Blade's Magic--Carolyn Wolfe
Midsummer celebrations are going as usual for one magical young woman, until she comes into contact with Max Blade--a man from another dimension.

Shore's Edge--Tara S Wood
Lammas beckons in Ireland in the year 1170, bringing with it war. Will one feisty young woman have to marry the man she hates most, or will the Gods bring her another answer?

The Picnic--Elodie Parkes
The woods near Morgan's home are under threat. But will salvation come for the woods--and himself--in the form of a beautiful environmental officer?

Shadows in the Dark--Miranda Stork
A surprising past life regression opens up a new world for one young woman...but it also throws her at the mercy of an unknown Shadow Man.

Magic in Memphis--Hunter S Jones
Memphis. The favourite place of a hard working public-relations employee, whose life is good, but without surprise...until she has a chance meeting with James Wellington on Yule night, throwing her world upside-down.

Brigid's Flame--Laura DeLuca
A writer, depressed at the turns of his career and losing his relationship with his girlfriend, looks to the Gods for inspiration at Imbolc...and finds the goddess Brigid answers his prayers.

Learn a little more about the magic within the pages...


Buy your copy from






Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Emperor's Daughter's New Clothes - A Political Satire


The Emperor’s Daughter’s New Clothes

A Political Satire

By

Hunter S. Jones

Once upon a time over the mountains and through the valley, in a city by a river there lived an Emperor who had long ago been deposed. His vain, insipid daughter had been appointed to a position in the city, as her father could no longer serve, as deemed by the people. She loved to show herself off to the people and let them say...“Oh she is beautiful.” “Oh she has had a good idea.” “Oh she has done much to help the poor people of this fair city.”

She was so very vain and shallow she believed every word she heard about herself and said, “My people are good. They see my great beauty and believe I will only do the best for them. They are so stupid and ignorant they will never see that I only do what is best for me. They are so very stupid, I will bring up that horrible movie I did years ago. It never made any money. If I make it controversial, they will buy it. I will finally make the money I deserve from it.” And, the Emperor’s daughter thought this was a very good idea.

Being so spoiled and vapid, the Emperor’s daughter began to spend the taxpayer’s money on her own projects. “These are good things” she said. “They are art.” “See this blue albatross? It was only $32,500 but the taxpayer’s money is justified. It is all justified because I want it.” The people are so stupid, they do not know what is good for them, she thought.

As word of her incompetency spread far and wide, the good people of the city begin to complain. “She is wasting our tax money.” “She knows nothing of art.” “She has been in one very bad movie and proclaims that she is an artist.” “She only returned to our fair city because she can’t get a job anywhere else.”

The Emperor’s daughter became even more spoiled and insolent as the years went by. She used money from the taxpayer’s to buy herself a house on the highest hill in the city. She took expensive trips and bought expense clothes. “This is good because I am doing a good job. The city may be losing money and I may be working on my projects on taxpayer’s money but it is good because I am doing what is best for me. If it is best for me, it should be the best for them. The people are ignorant and do not understand how great I am. Once I leave this position, I will take the money and connections that I have made from the taxpayer’s money, get a reality TV show and make even more money. I am so wonderful and so beautiful. I am a legend.

“These people are evil because they do not see how wonderful I am. If they do not agree with me, I will proclaim that they are evil and bullies. Even in a Democracy, the people should never be allowed to speak against me. I was born to rule. My family has ruled this area for years. Even if the people believe it is a Democracy, they are wrong. The people are stupid, evil, bullies.”

One day, to prove how powerful she was, the Emperor’s daughter had the idea of showing herself to her people. “I will show them I have nothing to hide. I will go for a walk naked.”

So, the Emperor’s daughter proceeded to walk down the city’s Main Street. “Look, fair citizens, I have nothing to hide from you.” She said this as she thought…The citizens are so stupid. Once they see my great beauty they will never speak another word against me.

The people said, “She doesn’t have on any clothes.” “She is naked.” “We have already seen her naked in that bad film she did.” “Why would she do this since we have already seen her naked?” “Why is she wasting the taxpayer’s time on something this useless?”

Then, a writer, a lowly writer that had long ago been banished for being of no use to the Emperor’s daughter, spoke up and said “Good citizens, could it be the Emperor’s daughter is delusional?
---------------------------------------------------------
The moral of the story is this. The Emperor’s daughter is spoiled and vain. She has wasted the taxpayer’s money on her pet projects. Why didn’t the mayor stop it long ago? She has a mother and she has a son.  I feel so very sorry for what they must be going through, but she has brought this upon herself. You have been absolutely correct in asking for her to resign and pointing out the inadequacies of that office.  

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Fables Flash

Hoodoo, voodoo, what will Mary do? 
Powder, London, what has Pierre done? 
Polly Poppet. Great name, love it. 
That's a curtain call. Who is Jean Paul? 
Atlanta Midtown. 
Victoria Queen. Whitechapel scene.
It will fuck with your dreams.

A Green Fairy changed Mary.

Fables of the Reconstruction. Mature content warning.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SCXVMK/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_w0tHqb0PVYPFZ

A Celtic Tapestry Book Trailer




                                      Available March 21st from Moon Rose Publishing. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

A CELTIC TAPESTRY, OFFICIAL TRAILER



Originally published on the Tarasphere, March 5, 2013

You know it’s coming. You’ve marked the date (if you haven’t, you really should) on your calendar. “A Celtic Tapestry”, the latest offering from Moon Rose Publishing, has just released the official trailer to accompany this anthology. I am SO proud to be a Moon Rose author, and even prouder to be a part of this great collection of stories. All of ladies that will be contained within the pages are amazing. This is truly a convergence of talent. So until March 21st rolls around, you’ll have to content yourself with this…..
Copyright 2013 of Moon Rose Publishing.
The wheel of the year turns, bringing the joy of spring, the warmth of summer, the richness of autumn, and the merriment of winter. But eight Celtic festivals link these seasons together, bringing with them romance, lust, danger, and even magic. From a city under threat from night-time creatures at Ostara, to a selkie caught by the light of the Lughnasadh moon, to a writer caught in the flames of a fiery goddess at Imbolc.
Eight authors have come together to give their own twist on these festivals, weaving each story with a blend of myth, magic, and contemporary telling…to create A Celtic Tapestry.
Elle J. Rossi – Crimson Beat
Livia Ellis – Beltane Fires
Carolyn Wolfe – Blade’s Magic
Tara S. Wood – Shore’s Edge
Elodie Parkes – The Picnic
Miranda Stork – Shadows in the Dark
Hunter S. Jones – Magic in Memphis
Laura DeLuca – Brigid’s Flame
Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00018]
Copyright 2013 Moon Rose Publishing
Copyright 2013 Moon Rose Publishing

Monday, March 4, 2013

RED HOT RIGHT NOW


THE RED HOT RIGHT NOW BLOG HOP

What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way for readers to find authors new to them.  On this stop on the blog hop you'll find a bit of information on me, my debut novella and my upcoming story in an anthology for Moon Rose Publishing plus a link to another author you can discover!

Thanks to fellow author, Patrick Jones, for inviting me to participate in this event.  Visit his blog to learn more about Patrick and his work.  

In this blog hop, my fellow authors and I, in our respective blogs, have answered ten questions about our book or work-in--progress (giving you a sneak peek).  We've also included some behind-the-scenes information about how and why we write what we write--the characters, inspirations, plotting and other choices we make. I hope you enjoy it!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Hello there, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hunter S. Jones, author and music blogger from Atlanta, Georgia, USA and I am Red Hot Right Now!


1: What is the title of your book?

Fables of the Reconstruction

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

The novella developed from a series of dreams followed by quite a bit of research into Haitian and Creole Voodoo, and research into French Colonial and English Victorian cultures.

3. What genre does your book come under?

Fables of the Reconstruction is on Amazon as Horror/Supernatural/Occult. It has a mature content warning as well.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

That is just a great question. I'm really not certain what the answer is. Probably, a Charlize Theron type as Mary Montague. Charlize just plays cold blooded like no other actress. Dita von Teese as Polly Poppet...George Wilson of the Buffalo Bills would be amazing as Jean Paul Rouselle. Yes, I know he's an athlete but he's been in a few Mary J. Blige vids. He's also one of my neighbors. I assure you a couple of elevator rides to the 33rd floor with him can really spark a girl's creativity.  (Please forgive me George!)Although, I can neither confirm nor deny that Jean Paul is based on George Wilson. Pierre von Minzle? I once thought Jack White, but I'm just not ready to say.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Fables of the Reconstruction is the story of Pierre von Minzle, a Belgian pimp who possesses a magic powder while living in Victorian London's Whitechapel District with his companion, Mary Montague. 




6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

It's self-published.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first draft before edits took about 6 weeks. That's just the writing part. The research took much longer.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I really don't know the answer to this question. It's a bizarre little book.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Please refer back to question 2...

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? What is your next release?

Will there be a Book 2 of Fables? Keep in touch with me to find out. 

My next release on March 21st is through Moon Rose Publishing. It's an anthology called A Celtic Tapestry. Eight Celtic Festivals, eight authors. The authors are Livia Ellis, Hunter S. Jones, Laura DeLuca, Elodie Parkes, Elle J Rossi, Miranda Stork, Carolyn Wolfe, Tara Wood Stogner. My story is the Yuletide story and it's called Magic in Memphis, a contemporary romance that features the love story of a Wiccan solitary practitioner who falls madly in love with an English businessman the first night they meet. 




You can find out more information and pre-order A Celtic Tapestry on their website.

Here's the link for the Red Hot Scottish crime writer Steve Christie who will be joining me by blogging, next Wednesday, March 13th. Be sure to bookmark and add his blog to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!