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WUTHERING NIGHTS

An Erotic Retelling of Wuthering Heights

a novel by

Grand Central Publishing ▪ $3.99 ▪ 324 pages ▪ E-Book ▪

On-Sale Date: January 29, 2013 ▪

Romantics everywhere have been enthralled by Emily Bronte’s classic novel of the tragic love between beautiful, spirited Catherine Earnshaw and dark, brooding Heathcliff. The restrained desire between these two star-crossed lovers has always smoldered on the page. And now it ignites into an uncontrollable blaze. In WUTHERING NIGHTS (Grand Central Publishing; On-Sale: January 29, 2013; $3.99; ), writer I.J. Miller reimagines this timeless story to reveal the passion between Catherine and Heathcliff—in all its forbidden glory.

Set against the stark, raw beauty of the English moors, WUTHERING NIGHTS tells the story of Heathcliff, an abandoned orphan, who recognizes his soulmate in wild, impulsive Catherine, the only woman who can tame his self-destructive nature. And Catherine cannot deny the all-consuming desire she feels for him, despite his low birth. Together they engage in a fiery affair—one that will possess them, enslave them, and change their destinies forever.

WUTHERING NIGHTS will also be released as a trade paperback on sale May 7, 2013.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I.J. Miller is the author of four 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. Miller has a Master of Fine Arts from the American Film Institute and has taught creative writing and screenwriting at the university level. Visit Miller at www.ijmiller.com.

INTERVIEW:

I am so glad you could join us here at RomanceJunkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?  

IJ: I just finished Wuthering Nights, an erotic retelling of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.  It is not your typical erotic “mashup,” with a lot of verbatim text and a few sex scenes thrown in.  I worked hard to stay true to the original language, themes, and characters, but added several new plot twists and turns that help keep the eroticism organic and heighten the romance.

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

IJ: My most significant moment was when I started thinking as a writer, which was in 11th grade when I took my first creative writing class.  From then on, I made mental and physical notes about dialogue, story ideas, and saw interesting observations as possible themes for stories. 

Every writer dreams of getting “the call”. What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first?

IJ: It was very exciting to sell my first novel in my mid-twenties.  I was about to play a set of tennis when I first heard of the sale, which soon got interrupted as I made my first phone call to my father, who has always been very supportive of my writing.

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

IJ: Bernard Malamud’s classic line about using personal life experience in one’s fiction still resonates strongly with me even today: “Using personal experience in fiction without invention is like uncooked spaghetti.” 

Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?

IJ: The perfect hero has an outer and inner strength and doesn’t have to shout it from the mountaintops.  The perfect hero puts others first.  The perfect hero is an equal mix of kindness and compassion. 

What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections?

IJ: I’m an enthusiastic reader of fiction.  I’m an avid tennis player and compete at a pretty high level.

 What has been your biggest adventure to date?

IJ: The last two summers I’ve been involved in running a tennis community service program on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.  I brought down a group of American teenagers and, while working with the local government, my group ran a free tennis camp for local kids who wouldn’t normally have access to the game.  It was a richly rewarding experience in a beautiful tropical locale.

 If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?

IJ:Italy.  For the food and romance.

 When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?

IJ: I’m not particularly adventurous, but take great pleasure from a good meal, especially when it comes to dessert!

 What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”?

IJ: Elegant meal, romantic dancing, holding the one you love real close and making love all night on a giant four poster bed with big fluffy pillows.

How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you?

IJ: Very laid back, very mellow, a person of moderation, very unlike the alpha males and torrid temptresses in my books.

No interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

IJ: Chocolate.

 What is your favorite season? What do you love about it?

IJ: I love the spring: the promise of warmth after a cold winter, the budding color of flowers, the wonderful return of rich green leaves in the trees.

 What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?

IJ: The computer of course.  I can live without social media, but love sending and receiving emails.

What project are you working on next?

IJ: I’m working on a New Adult erotic romance for the 18-25 crowd called Celine’s Solution, about a college girl who gets her final, senior year education from her young English professor, who is both a master of passion and a troubled secretive soul.  Before she can know for sure whether she has found true love or needs to move on, she needs to unravel all of his mysteries.

Any place we can find you in person or on the net this month or next?

IJ:  I will be doing a reading as part of a “Sexy Scribes Speaking” night in Turner’s Falls, MA on Feb. 2:  https://www.facebook.com/events/352796641482903/.

I will be the featured reader at the Erotic Salon in Philadelphia, PA on March 19: http://theeroticsalon.com/live-salon-info/.

I will be guest blogging on Ashley Lister’s site on Feb. 6:  http://howtowriteeroticfiction.blogspot.com/.

Lee Hyat’s site on Feb. 12: http://www.authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com/.

My website is http://www.ijmiller.com