A big YAY for the very first book review here at the Horror Movie Diary!
My blog mate Melissa Bradley from Chicago is not only the passionate writer behind the splendid blog
"MELISSA'S IMAGINARIUM", she's also a succesful author of erotica / fantasy / horror novels.
So far, she has written and published 6 novels:
- Michael's Keeper (2008)
- Dream On (2008)
- Love Haight (2009)
- Encore Performances (2009) (contains 'Dream On' & 'Love Haight')
- Byzantine Provocateur (2011)
- Nathan's Angel (2011)
and this one:
MAXIE BRISCOE: WEREWOLF (2010)
I admit, before reading "Maxie Briscoe" I didn't know exactly what to expect from it - but I definitely didn't expect it to be that entertaining. Seriously, this is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining books I've ever read!
"Maxie Briscoe: Werewolf", a fabulous blend of thriller, comedy and erotica
about the tough and extremely likable office worker Maxie (werewolf since the age of 15), the gruesome murder of her neighbor and the arriving of Damien Noah, 2 supersexy male werewolves who try to protect her from a mysterious killer who's after her.
The book is written in a witty and highly diverting style, amusing from beginning to end (especially the funny opening or the introduction of Maxie's hilarious mother), but also full of superbly tense and extremely compelling scenes (the arrow-attack in the forests or the super-stunning finale).
It's also packed with splendid ideas and remarkable details, the plot is interesting and very well-conceived, and every single characters is just delightful.
Highlights:
~ The sex scenes - lots of them and they're all incredibly hot and steamy, super-intense and explicitly graphic. According to this book, werewolf sex seems to be mindblowingly awesome - I wanna be a werewolf too! ;-)
~ The very last segment (full moon night) which is one of the most thrilling things I've ever read in my entire life.
~ Melissa's brilliant humorous writing style. I totally laughed my ass off at lines like:
"Is this the part where I'm supposed to lie back, spread my legs and say 'Do me like Red Riding Hood, you Big Bad Wolf'?"
"I grab his nuts and squeeze with my lupine strength, lengthening my claws just enough for him to feel the sharp edges through the denim of his jeans (...) 'I suggest you zip it before I rip off these little olives to garnish my Martini.'"
"'Tell me, which one of you is fucking my daughter?' - 'Ma!' - 'What? You think I can't tell what's going on? (...) Oh my god! It's both of them, isn't it?'
I'm sure my face can guide home airplanes in the fog. 'I'm 27 freaking years old! Will you stop?' Great, I'm shrieking like a teenager with boy band concert tickets."
"Having breasts is like having a superpower that makes men stupid on command. Doesn't matter if they're real or not, either. I've seen plenty of guys get slack-jawed over a nice fake rack on some drag queen. It's all about the boobs or the illusion of boobs. Kryptonite, schmyptonite... Lois melted the Man Of Steel with the girls."
etc.
Overall, "Max Briscoe: Werewolf" is an absolutely fabulous book, highly recommended to everyone who loves werewolves (especially Ginger-Snaps-like ones) and enjoys reading/watching raunchy stuff (porn, erotica, you name it).
Well done, Melissa!
Ok, now that you know everything you need to know about Max Briscoe, it's time to learn more about Melissa and her work. Yes, I got the fabulous opportunity to do an interview with her. Check it out, you know you want to!
Interview with Melissa Bradley
Maynard:
Hi Melissa! Tell us a few sentences about you (who you are, why you write/blog, etc.).
Melissa:
I write, I think, because I am the crazy kid who always listened to the voices inside her head. LOL It's a natural impulse for me as I grew up in a family of storytellers and avid readers. I was always making up my own tales and rewriting those other stories that I didn't like. I even re-wrote Romeo and Juliet because I thought that ending just sucked. I don't remember if I had them stay together, but I knew double suicide was no answer. I believe I was thirteen going fifty-seven at the time.

I got started blogging just over a year ago because I wanted a way to connect with people. Friends and fellow writers also kept telling me that it was a wonderful way to generate an online presence since I had taken the plunge and pursued my publishing dream. I could connect not only with potential readers, but also other writers. I struggled in the beginning, not sure what to write or even what to do. I had tried a blog back in '08, but it fizzled out because I had no clue and I gave up. My blog has since become one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have made so many new friends.
Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
My family inspired me, but also writers like C.S. Lewis and all those racy historicals I got my hands on when I was twelve and thirteen. Nothing like the old bodice-ripper historicals to set my adolescent imagination on fire... manly rods, weeping flowers, chalices of innocence... Is it any wonder why I write erotica? Only I don't quite pretty it up the way those authors did. I'm much more straight forward. Like Maxie.
Who or what inspired you to write "Maxie Briscoe: Werewolf"?
I was so tired of all the werewolves being guys. I mean I love werewolves with a passion, but I knew there had to be some gender equality. In "The Howling" there were female werewolves, but the best was "Ginger Snaps". I wanted to write something in that vein and toyed with ideas for years. Then, two years ago at a really low point in my writing, Maxie kicked in the doors of my brain and took over. She literally dictated her story to me. People kept telling me a first-person erotic werewolf tale would never, ever work, but I couldn't tell it any other way, Maxie would not allow it. Remember what I said about those voices in my head? I definitely had to do what she told me.
"Maxie Briscoe" is your 2nd werewolf-themed tale (after "Michael's Keeper"). Are you a special fan of wolves/werewolves? What are your favorite wolf/werewolf-themed movies and books?

I LOVE werewolves with a passion. They have been my very favorite monsters ever since I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. in "The Wolfman". I have seen so many werewolf movies, but my all-time favorite is "The Howling", followed closely by "Ginger Snaps", "American Werewolf in London" and "Dog Soldiers". Gary Brandner's 1977 novel "The Howling" is a great read and was an inspiration for the 1981 movie, but the plots are different. Also "Cycle of the Werewolf" by Stephen King, "The Silver Wolf" by Alice Borchardt and "Lonely Werewolf Girl" by Martin Millar.
The book is extremely graphic, holy shit! I don't have a problem with that but I didn't expect it to be that graphic.
Where do you take the ideas for all the sex scenes from? Porn movies? Other erotic literature? Your love life? ;-)
I do love the naughty stuff, don't I? I take your reaction as a very high compliment. Thank you! I believe in going there with the characters. Don't close the bedroom door right when things start to get good. Sex is a vital part of the human experience and that's what I love about writing erotica. Inspiration comes from research, movies, novels. All that naughtiness percolates in my brain and I never know what is going to come out onto to the computer screen. As for my love life...Well, a woman never reveals deep dark secrets. ;-)
Will there be a sequel? I'd die to find out how the story of Maxie and her alpha wolves goes on!
Oh there are definitely two more sequels. It's a trilogy and as the novels continue, there will be more exploration into werewolves and how they came to exist in Maxie's world, plus there will be lots more with Maxie, her wolves and their relationship.

So far you wrote 6 Erotica-themed stories. Any plans on writing something non-erotica in the future or will you continue the naughty path?
I have a lot in the works. I have a World War I novel in the planning stages as well as some sci-fi and horror. I do plan to keep writing erotica as I thoroughly enjoy the genre.
If there is one novel you could rewrite, what would it be?
I wouldn't rewrite anything from the ground up, but I do wish I would have made "Michael's Keeper" longer and that I would have turned "Love Haight" into a full-length novel. I may do that down the road.
Anything else you wanna tell us?
I do want to encourage everyone out there to go for whatever dream you may have. Don't let anything stop you. I let a lot of things stop me before I finally found the courage to send out my work.
Thank you, Melissa!