It’s my pleasure to welcome I J Miller to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me and chat all about a book set in a ,location I love!
Let’s find out more:
Staying in with I J Miller
Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag I.J. and thank you for staying in with me.
Thanks so much, Linda for having me. Always fun to hang out and talk books.
It is. So, tell me, which of your books have you brought along this evening and why have you brought it?
I’ve brought along my latest novel, just published in September, SUVIVING THE STORM. I’ve chosen it because I’m certainly looking to get the word out there about this book. And because of the eight books I’ve published, this one has the most fun plot, with the most exotic location (the Caribbean island of Antigua where I worked for eleven summers), and has so much to say about relationships…what makes them work, what doesn’t, what love is and isn’t.
I love visiting the Caribbean I. J. so I think SURVIVING THE STORM could be just my kind of read. What can we expect from an evening in with the book?
Many readers report they’ve read the book in one sitting. So what you can expect is a page-turner, set around a murder mystery whodunit, that examines the lives of three couples who work at a glamorous resort, each of a different age, struggling to manage their emotional lives, all suspects in the murder of a lascivious co-worker, Alvin, all with ample motive.
Sounds like Alvin may have got what was coming to him! Tell me more about the couples.
JOHN AND BECCA: Late 20s, newly married. He’s the assistant manager. She’s bored and depressed. John loves Becca but is immersed in the daily functions of maintaining a five-star resort and training for a local marathon. He discovers the unusual pleasure Becca finds in the arms of Alvin and knows he must put a stop to it.
There’s a motive right there!
ROB-O AND KATE: Late 30s, live together as a couple. He’s the waterfront director. She’s the aerobics instructor. He has a hard time making decisions. She likes everything perfect. A mis-match centred around their journey to find sexual fulfilment and love amid their many insecurities. Alvin steps in to help with the fulfilment, but gets in the way of their love, and they both desperately wish he would just BACK OFF!
I think Alvin might have been too much of a ‘good’ thing!
TWIGGY AND NED: She’s late 40’s. He’s late 50’s. Married. He’s the owner of the resort. She’s the elegant trophy-wife hostess. A couple of convenience only, as Ned is lost in a world of self-pleasure and autocracy, while Twiggy grapples with his indifference, snoring, cover stealing, colonial attitude, and her raging encounters with the handsomest, flirtiest, sexiest man on the island…Alvin! She’s discovered by Ned through a cruel twist of fate, and he gets in touch with the local island hitman…Hercules.
Crikey! It all sounds very entertaining. What have readers been saying about SURVIVING THE STORM?
Early comments include the following Linda:
“A taut, steamy and sometimes humorous murder mystery set at a 5-star resort in exotic Antigua and featuring a cast of colorful locals and transplants. The mystery will draw you in and the relationship portrayals will get you thinking.” ~S.M. Stevens, author of Beautiful and Terrible Things
“I.J. Miller never disappoints. Passion, mystery, and romance collide to create a captivating page-turner. Filled with dazzling scenarios to ignite your inner flame.” ~Susana Mayer, PhD, Founder, The Erotic Literary Salon.
“This no-holds barred mystery seamlessly blends a classic whodunit with gripping psychological suspense. Hurricane Hugo rips the lid off the glamor of a luxury resort to reveal six couples’ tawdry secrets, along with a man’s dead body.” ~Erica Obey, author of The Brooklyn North Murder
You must be thrilled with those responses.
What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?
I’ve brought along my favourite Island tee shirt, one that reminds me of the beauty of the Caribbean, the glorious, vibrant music that is so much a part of the Antigua culture, and the passionate, remarkable locals I met during my time there. All of which inspired the words of this novel.
Love that T-shirt! You say the island, the music and the people. Could you give us a little taster from SURVIVING THE STORM please?
I can.
The island:
For him and his family it was love at first sight: the pristine grounds full of palm trees, perfectly manicured grass, beds of exotic, brilliantly colored flowers, resort rooms just yards from the Atlantic, hypnotized to sleep by the steady crash of waves, the beautiful, calm, clear Full Moon Bay on the other side of the bluff, perfect for water skiing, windsurfing, and sailing.
The music:
Each member of the band stood behind steel drums ranging in height and banged the calypso beat in perfect unison. Rob-O couldn’t take his eyes off her as they danced. She quickly caught on to the island style: feet forward and back, hips swaying side to side to the sound of drumsticks hitting steel. She added an occasional samba flourish—forward, back, a dramatic spin, as her ponytail flew—then faced right back at him without a missed step.
The people:
Alvin’s elderly neighbor waited by the ambulance. She wore a light blue dress, her grey hair wrapped tightly in a red scarf, black slippers on her feet, wrinkly arms wrapped around herself, face marked with deep lines of perpetual worry.
Reggie turned towards her. “When the last time you saw Alvin?”
“Haven’t seen him since before the storm,” Juanita replied. “Him don’t come home much.”
“Know where he usually spend the night?”
A wry laugh. All teeth and space again. “That be like me knowin all the places where the wind blow.”
I have a feeling Alvin is a man I must meet I.J.! Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about SURVIVING THE STORM. Let me give readers a few more details:
SURVIVING THE STORM
A STORM. A BODY. AND A LIST OF SUSPECTS WHO ALL HAVE SECRETS TO HIDE!
SURVIVING THE STORM 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.
SURVIVING THE STORM was published on 17th September 2024 by Blank Slate and is available for purchase in all the usual places including Amazon, Bookshop.org and Barnes and Noble.
About I.J. Miller
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.
For further information, visit I.J. Miller’s website, or find I.J. on Twitter/X @Heathcliffian and Facebook.
English (US) · 