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Answering my #ThreeTwoOne quick-fire questions today is author IJ Miller whose latest novel Surviving the Storm was published just a few days ago.
THREE THINGS ABOUT MY LATEST NOVEL, SURVIVING THE STORM:
1. It’s a page turner!
One of my first thoughts when starting a new fiction project is usually What sort of exciting plot can drive the story? I decided to try my first murder mystery. Next came the exotic setting, a 5-Star resort on the Caribbean island of Antigua, where I had worked for eleven summers. With that came a cast of several locals, including the victim himself, the assistant manager, Alvin. Then came the story, centered around the journey of three couples, who live and work at the resort, each of a different age, who struggle to find harmony with each other, all with some sort of intimate connection to the dead man.
The novel blasts off with the arrival of Hurricane Hugo on September 17, 1989. When the three resort couples emerge after the storm from the safety of the wine cellar, they discover Alvin’s dead body. The subtle and not-so-subtle reactions by the couples tip the reader off to their possible involvement.
From there, the novel flashes back with chapters on each couple, their issues and their connections with Alvin, returning to the present and the investigation by a local detective, who gradually unravels their Alvin ties. Motives are revealed, all seem suspicious, and the couples’ conflicts escalate. Until, finally, at the end, the past collides with the present, the murderer is revealed and we see who is going to make it together and who will not.
A page turner often read in one sitting.
2. It’s sexy without being gratuitous!
A strength of my fiction writing has always been depicting very real sexual encounters that reveal character and plot. As in real life, not all the sex is successful and the men don’t have rock hard abs (except Alvin), the women perfect, perky breasts. It’s real sex, sometimes dysfunctional, always a reflection of what is going on between two significant others, or one part of a couple and this naughty, sexy man, Alvin. The realness of it, the portrayal of encounters that every couple can identify with, can make it more sexy than over-hyped, salacious writing.
3. It asks important relationship questions!
–What is love?
–What isn’t love?
–What would I give up to hold onto true love?
–Is it worth staying in a relationship just because it’s convenient or comfortable?
–Is sometimes not communicating, or expressing true feelings better than open sharing that might blow up the whole relationship?
–How can we develop enough trust so that each person believes the other puts him or her first?
–Is there enough kindness in this relationship, kindness that can help bring back love during the vulnerable moments it might recede?
TWO CHARACTERS IN MY LATEST NOVEL, SURVIVING THE STORM:
The book centers around three different couples, each in a different age bracket, each with their own particular problems, each with a different type of connection to the dead man. All get equal time. For today, I’ll pick JOHN and BECCA, newly married and in their late 20s.
JOHN is the manager of Long Beach Bluff resort. And he’s in heaven. Having vacationed at the resort with his family every Christmas growing up, he’s thrilled to be the manager. He loves the island, the Caribbean culture, the resort’s idiosyncrasies, greeting new guests, and loves the daunting task of maintaining Long Beach Bluff’s 5-star reputation, from supervising meals to overseeing the waterfront. With what little spare time he has left, he trains for a local marathon.
BECCA, at this point in her life, is simply John’s wife. One might think she has everything: much time for herself, living on the beach with a staff to look after her, a handsome husband who loves her in his own way. But she’s bored and depressed. Even in college, she lacked the skills to build a quality life for herself, the fortitude to put in the tough work, and now she’s no better off. She thinks of having a child, but doesn’t want to be the kind of woman who has a baby just to make a marriage better. Truth is, she’s not sure John loves her enough to start a family, or that she loves herself enough to be a good mother.
Under John’s blind eye, Becca embarks on a submissive, masochistic affair with Alvin. It goes against all of her life creeds, but yet proves to her how worthless she feels as simply John’s wife. The reader is clued in that she really does love John, but simply needs him to love her more, to put her ahead of his work and his running, as he does when she has a skin cancer scare and relishes all the attention he gives seeing her through her treatments. But John discovers her affair and knows he must put a stop to it. But he’s afraid if he confronts her, their relationship will never be the same.
Their relationship reveals the sacrifices one sometimes makes to hold on to true love.
ONE GOOD REASON WHY PEOPLE SHOULD READ SURVIVING THE STORM:
If you enjoy a well-written, sexy, thriller/mystery, set in an exotic location, that makes you eager to turn the page while it inspires thoughts about your own life and your own significant relationships, then this book’s for you!
Full Book Details
A STORM. A BODY. A LIST OF SUSPECTS WHO ALL HAVE SECRETS TO HIDE…
SURVIVING THE STORMÂ is a sexy thriller about three dysfunctional couples working at a Caribbean resort who are desperately trying to navigate their emotional lives while being suspects in the murder of a co-worker.
September, 1989, Hurricane Hugo blasts the island of Antigua. Three couples, who live and work at an exclusive beachfront resort, shelter in the wine cellar along with the security guard. When the storm passes, the lifeless body of the resort’s handsome assistant manager is discovered on the property. Was he killed by flying debris or was it murder? A local detective is called in who gradually unravels the intimate connections between the dead man and the couples, putting them all in the crosshairs of his intense investigation.
Smart, sexy, and fun, SURVIVING THE STORM is a sensual murder mystery that explores the secret lives and emotional ups and downs of everyday people as it grips the reader in page-turning suspense right up to the surprising reveal at the end.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SURVIVING THE STORM is Miller’s 7th book of literary fiction. Seesaw was translated into German & Spanish and sold 132k copies. Miller’s Whipped was also translated into German. The audio version of Wuthering Nights was nominated for an Audie Award. Miller’s short stories have appeared in many anthologies, including The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, 12 & 13. Miller also co-authored Promise Fulfilled: A Memoir of Immigrant Success, available in English & Spanish. Miller credits 17 summers of working in Antigua, St. Kitts, & St. Lucia with the inspiration for Surviving the Storm.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
My website:Â https://ijmiller.com/index.html
Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/ij.miller.5
X:Â https://twitter.com/heathcliffian?lang=arÂ
Goodreads:Â https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/i-j-miller-9a8906223/
BUY LINKS
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/surviving-the-storm-i-j-miller/21170946?ean=9781943075874
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zRoru2
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surviving-the-storm-ij-miller/1144913568
AND AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE…
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