New From @ErinORiordan and @TitElingtin: Crime Novel 'CUT'

Cut is now available in paperback at CreateSpace and Amazon.com.

If you want a signed copy signed by me and my husband Tit, please purchase your copy from our Etsy Shop, Writer's Brain Has Wings.

If you have an Etsy account, please add our book to your favorites. I don't guarantee that I'll return each "favorite" I get from other Etsy sellers, but if you make things I genuinely like, I usually do return favorites.

Book Summary and Details:

Love pulp fiction? Just try putting down CUT. CUT is full of saints and sinners you'll love to hate. Brigid is a high school basketball player and secret heroin addict. Fred, a Catholic lesbian, loves Brigid, but doesn't know about her affair with Edward, a married Evangelical preacher. Sex, ethics, religions, and mythologies clash as you dig deeper into their connection to the death of a young couple.

Authored by Erin O'Riordan, Tit Elingtin 
Cover design by Tit Elingtin
Cover photography by Beth Coney Smith 

Publication Date: Aug 08 2015
ISBN/EAN13: 1516813669 / 9781516813667
Page Count: 216
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6" x 9"
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Fiction / Crime

Have a book review blog of your own? Message us about free review copies!

I appreciate each and every share on social media, whether it's pinning our latest cover to your Pinterest boards or liking us on Facebook. Thanks for supporting our writing!

Previous editions of this book have been published as Whip and The Smell of Gas. Not only is the cover art new, but this is the definitive edition containing the most polished, final edit.

Coming Soon: Erin and Tit's coloring book!

Who Needs Flowers and Candy When You've Got Books? #ValentinesDay

The poet Virgil wrote, "Omnia vincit amor," but to the bookwormishly inclined, that phrase should probably be modified to, "Omnia vincit libris." Now through February 14, you can show your love for books by saving 14% on your selections from Lulu.com to celebrate the feast of Lupercalia in the month of Juno Februata. 

Say, have I ever mentioned that I have a book published through Lulu.com? Why, you could use your 14% discount to save on the crime thriller The Smell of Gas. You can find it on Lulu in paperback and e-book. Its short, gritty vignettes that all dovetail together in the end have been compared to Pulp Fiction. 

If crime fiction isn't your kind of thing, how about a collection of short stories? Try Hearts of Tomorrow, an anthology featuring me, plus Phil Geusz, Mysti Parker (hers has dark elves and other Norse mythology!), and S.S. Hampton. My contribution is "Melusine's Secret," a gender-bending, erotic take on the classic French fairy tale of Melusine. You can read an excerpt here.

Hearts of Tomorrow is available on Lulu in paperback and e-book.

If you want to get your sweetie a custom-written short romance, see this post.

A-Z Book Survey (Nicked From Somewhere Between the Pages)

I found this fun book survey at Somewhere Between the Pages, and it was created by The Perpetual Page-Turner.

Author you've read the most books from: Charlaine Harris, probably, since I read the entire Sookie Stackhouse series

Best sequel ever: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Currently reading: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Drink of choice while reading: at home, coffee; at a Starbuck's, tropical green tea

E-reader or physical book? Both

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school: Augustus Waters

Glad you gave this book a chance: The Hunger Games

Hidden gem book: Master by Colette Gale

Important moment in your reading life: Finishing the first draft of The Smell of Gas, because once I knew I could finish writing a book, I knew I could write whatever I wanted to read that wasn't written yet

Just finished: Hotter Than Hell by Jackie Kessler

Kind of books you won't read: I generally don't read hard science fiction or high fantasy, and I'm not much of a mystery reader either - but I'll give any genre a chance if there's a particularly well-written example

Longest book you've read: probably From Here to Eternity. It's 860 pages (and worth every second of the time it takes to read)

Major book hangover because of: The Count of Monte Cristo

 Number of bookcases you own: One free-standing, two built-in

One book you have read multiple times: Wuthering Heights

Preferred place to read: Comfy spot on the couch

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read: "Tell all the Truth, but tell it Slant/Success in circuit lies..." ~ Emily Dickinson

Reading regret: I waited too long between each of the His Dark Materials books. If I'd known how great The Amber Spyglass is, I'd have read them one right after another

Series you started and need to finish (all books are out in series): the original Vampire Diaries series, the ones actually written by L.J. Smith. I have one more to go.

Three of your all-time favorite books: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, Little Women, Slaughterhouse-Five

Unapologetic fangirl for: Harry Potter

Very excited for this release more than all the others: Deborah Harkness's third All Souls Trilogy book

Worst bookish habit: reading in the bathroom

X marks the spot (the 27th book from the top left of your shelf): The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History by John Ortved

Your latest book purchase: Hm, my last few acquisitions were freebies, so I think my last actual purchase was of three Nalini Singhs at the discount book store

ZZZ-snatcher (the last book that kept you up way late): Lover at Last by J.R. Ward

WIP Wednesday, Short But Sweet

I haven't been feeling well since Monday afternoon, so I'll keep this week's WIP Wednesday short and sweet.

Are you an author with a current work in progress? Share about it with us on a future WIP Wednesday. Send an e-mail to erinoriordan AT sbcglobal DOT net.

This week I'll be doing some pre-edits to my short story "Sheep Shifter." I also have one week to finish my Bessie Smith vampire short story - I hope I'm feeling well enough to work on it soon.

Meanwhile, today and tomorrow, you can save 20% at Lulu.com with the checkout code SWEET306. This means you can save on:

The Smell of Gas paperback

The Smell of Gas e-book

Hearts of Tomorrow paperback - contains my short story "Melusine's Secret"

Hearts of Tomorrow e-book

Oh! And "The Spell You Cast" got its first review on Smashwords. Laura Cooper writes:

"Loved the storyline which captured my attention right from the start. Well written and just the right amount of spice and detail to not only make it believable, but to make me consider sharing my man. Well worth the read!"

If you would like to review the 18-page erotica e-book "The Spell You Cast," send me a message and I'll send you a code for the free e-book. BUT you have to write me a review on Smashwords.

WIP Wednesday: Happy Imbolc, Lá Fhéile Bríde, Candlemas and Groundhog Day!

Are you an author with a current work in progress? Would you like to share about your work on a future WIP Wednesday? If so, send your blurb to Erin O'Riordan: erinoriordan AT sbcglobal DOT net.

As a Groundhog Day treat, take 20% off The Smell of Gas (my pulp fiction novel - lots of sex and death) and "Melusine's Secret" at Lulu.com with the code SHADOWHOG306. Good through Feb. 3.

The first of February is a cross-quarter Pagan holiday, falling in between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The optimistic celebration of Imbolc looks forward to the end of winter and the renewal of spring - we're halfway there! Wear white or yellow for Imbolc to encourage the days to keep getting longer.

If you're interested in the folklore of Imbolc and the related February 1-2 holidays, you can read last year's post HERE. Remember, February 4th will be Sarasvati Puja, the birthday of the Hindu goddess Sarasvati.


Sarasvati Pictures

Over the weekend, I wrote a scholarly and humorous article about the word "smexy." The portmanteau word combining "smart" and "sexy" should be a favorite of mine, but I just can't bring myself to like it. Brigid came up in the discussion, as you'll read in this brief excerpt:

"If smexy were here [in the dictionary], it would fall precisely between smelter and smidgen. Smidgen’s not so bad; it has a cooking-show flavor, as in 'Add a smidgen of cardamom to your vanilla pudding.' Smidgen could even be delicious. Likewise, I have nothing against smelters, or anyone otherwise employed in the metallurgic arts. To my ancient Irish ancestors, smiths enjoyed the patronage of the great fire-goddess Brighid, and for the love of Brighid I could even love the word smelter.”


Imbolc Pictures

You might notice I also crammed in a pun on the word "flavor" and a reference to a line from Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? I was on a roll when I wrote the article, so I hope it gets picked up by SexIs Magazine. I also worked in references to SmexyAsians.com, Michael Trevino, Dick Cheney's iPod and Miles Fisher. "This Must Be the Place" is my example of a song that's kind of annoying at first, but then it grows on you. Then you can't get it out of your head. Then you embrace it. Then you love it.

This Must Be The Place (Cover) - Miles Fisher from Dave Green on Vimeo.

Of course you embrace the video right away, 'cause it's a wonderful American Psycho homage. Miles Fisher is SO smexy. (Photo by Nadav Benjamin, Creative Commons)

So, what are you working on this fine cross quarter holiday?

New 'Heartache' anthology out from eXcessica; sale at Melange Books

I'm pleased to announce the eXcessica Publishing's semi-annual erotica anthology is out, and once again it contains an Erin O'Riordan. This original, never-before published story is called "The Witch's Tale." It has a witch - and werewolves! The anthology's title, and theme, is Heartache.

A snippet of "The Witch's Tale:"

...At the darkest hour of the night, all the wolves seemed to go away. Except one. His howling kept me awake. I went to my window and looked; it was a big brown male with honey-colored eyes.
I went to the door and opened it. "Come in, Milos," I said.

The big wolf trotted in and lay on the rug in front of my fireplace, whining. I brought him the remains of the bread I’d eaten for dinner (unlike the wolves, I ate no meat). He ate the bread. I sat beside him and stroked his fur until he fell asleep.

I fell asleep stroking the wolf. I awoke to find the fire had died out, and I was lying on the floor with only a naked, sleeping Milos to keep me warm.

"I was lonely," he said when he woke up. "I am alone in my den now. You were always kind to me and my people."

"You’re welcome to visit," I said, staring hard at the pattern on the rug and trying not to see his well-muscled body.

"I want to stay," he said.

"I don’t think you should," I said, drawing my conclusions about his intentions. "Milos, you’ll find another mate. One of your own people. A woman who can give you children that are like you."

"I know," he said. "But it will be many seasons before another single female becomes mature. I can’t wait that long. I got too used to Svjetlana, and then the babies, lying beside me. I won’t stay forever. Only let me stay for a few nights."

He lifted my chin so that I stared into his honey-colored eyes. They were both innocent and wild, sad and hopeful. I wanted to comfort him, especially after all the times I failed to help him. Still touching my face, he brought his lips to mine.

The gesture stunned me; in truth, it was my first kiss. I’d devoted so much of my life to aiding the sick and injured on this strange isle, I’d neglected finding a mate of my own. Milos, however, seemed to know exactly what he was doing. His thumb stroked my cheek as he kissed me, his tongue begging entrance into my mouth. The effect of his naked body, so near to me and so affectionate, was dizzying. I wasn’t thinking straight; it was as if I’d swallowed one of my medicines. Milos wanted more…and so did I. I parted my lips.

The official blurb: "Erotic, romantic, poignant and wistful, this anthology collection from Excessica authors will thrill you, touch you, and stay with you. These stories dare to explore the pleasure and pain of a lover gone, the one that got away, the forbidden affair, a true love existing on borrowed time. These are tales of passionate affairs that cannot last, but they are exquisite gems while they do, and like the star that burns brightest, these stories burn fast, dazzle and smolder in the memory."



Heartache is my 6th anthology with eXcessica. I also wrote stories in:

Divine Matches



Happy Endings



Love Bound



Strange Love



Wonder



Sale at Melange Books: For the month of January, take 10% off every e-book at Melange Books, in honor of the publisher's first anniversary! That includes books by Erin O'Riordan: the crime thriller The Smell of Gas and the Hearts of Tomorrow anthology, which contains my take on the French fairy tale of Melusine.

To get the e-book discount, use the promo code 4P096350 at check-out.

Pagan Spirits 2011 in Review

Today, while I chill out from last night's party, visit my great-aunt and spend some time with my mom, please enjoy these highlights of the Pagan Spirits book blog over the past year.

January - "The Journal of Rosa and Bella" Pt. 1, by Shah Wharton

February - Amber Chen's Hottest Sci-Fi Couples

March - The Forgotten Saints of Ireland

April - Crime thriller The Smell of Gas by Erin O'Riordan and Tit Elingtin

May - Day of Revenge by Deanna Proach

June - 5 Jewish Dudes I'd Most Like to See Lewd

July - The erotic art of Christopher Chamberlain

August - The Science of Writing Science Fiction

September - For the first day of fall, books about Persephone

October - Love Spells From the Witch of Umbria

November - The Best Parts of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1

December - The Witches' Yuletide Ball

Happy New Year! May 2012 be the best year of your life so far. I'm looking forward to more guest posts and more great books in 2012. And Breaking Dawn Pt. 2, of course.

Jakob Dylan image: Mike from Boston
The Odor of Pomegranates by Zaida Ben-Yusuf, 1899, is in the public domain

Literary Links to Love

A round-up of some juicy book topics on the Internet:

Glenda A. Bixler's review of The Smell of Gas at Book Reader's Haven. May contain spoilers!

"Mormon Women Should Read Romance Novels, Avoid Sherlock Holmes" at Island in the Pacific Books

Forbes' 10 Most Powerful Women Authors. J.K. Rowling leads the pack, naturally. You go, girls!

"One Word at a Time: Internet Resources for Writers" at Joan Swan's blog

Starla Westlake wrote the first review of Eminent Domain on Smashwords

Wuthering List: Works including and inspired by Wuthering Heights

Non-literary, but just for fun - Erin O'Riordan reviews all 6 flavors of Nescafe Taster's Choice Instant Coffees at BlissPlan

That Yugoslavia! Thing

You may think this has something to do with the recent arrest of Ratko Mladic, but Chaz Wood started it. In his book review post yesterday, Chaz mentioned a scene in one of his own novels (Maranatha), a scene of disturbing violence set in a Serbian church. This made me realize that in 2 years of blogging at Pagan Spirits, I had never specifically addressed The Yugoslavian Thing. I'm shocked by this.

Do I have a fascination with the former Yugoslavian republics in southern Europe? Absolutely. Observe only this dream I recorded in my journal in February 2010:

"I dreamed my husband and I went to see a movie called Yugoslavia! It was sort of like Borat in reverse, with a couple of clueless Americans dropped in the middle of the former Yugoslavian cultures. It starred Will Ferrell as a man who, as a child, wrote on his to-do-before-I-die list that he wanted to visit Yugoslavia. As an adult, he went to start doing the things on his list, and he was severely disappointed to find out there wasn't a place called Yugoslavia anymore. He decided to visit Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, etc., with his best friend, played by Hugh Jackman. (That's a Hunk du Jour link. You're welcome.)

Dream heroine Brandy Norwood in a 2011 Creative Commons photo by Bob Bekian

"Hugh was a Croatian-American. He was trying to get a woman (played by Brandy Norwood) to go out with him, but she wouldn't unless he knew something about his Croatian heritage. They were the romantic subplot, and in the end, she went out with him. Meanwhile, the Will Ferrell character somehow ended up playing basketball for Serbia in the Eurobasket, with comedic results. There was a cameo by former Chicago Bulls player Toni Kukoc, who made a stirring speech about playing in the Olympics for Croatia and how all he wanted was to buy his mother a car."

One of my favorite books EVER is Pretty Birds by Scott Simon, in which both Toni and his Serbian/Laker rival Vlade Divac are mentioned. (If you dug the men's NBA in the 1990s, you may vaguely recall the Lakers traded Divac to Charlotte for the rights to draft Shaquille O'Neal. Divac and his best pal, half-Serbian/half-Croatian baller Drazen Petrovic, were separated by the war; Petrovic died before its end. Their sad bromance is the subject of the ESPN film Once Brothers.) Simon's teen heroine, Irena Zaric (a Muslim girl from Sarajevo) has a crush on Toni. Me too! Irena's story is incredibly violent, disturbing, sad...and funny. That book is surprisingly funny.

I'm neither Serbian nor Croatian, so why am I so fixated? Because I went to high school with a guy from Sarajevo. In the '90s. While the war was actively going on. He had a Serbian dad and a half-Muslim, half-Croatian mom. They were stuck in Bosnia while he lived with foster parents. I'll never forget the experience of sitting through Schindler's List with him...an experience I translated into fiction in I Made Out With a Teenage Communist!

In fact, many of my stories have at least one former Yugoslavian character. In "Fall of the Estrela," it's Milos, the honey-eyed stranger from the Adriatic isle of Vis. The Smell of Gas has Nenad, the Serbian dishwasher, a very minor character. The Pagan Spirits erotic romance series, however, stars a half-Slovenian guy, Orlando Parisi, in the alpha male role. It may be true that tall, hazel-eyed, dark-haired Orlando looks a tiny bit like Toni Kukoc. Maybe.

So that's the Yugoslavia thing. Will Ferrell, you're welcome to steal that dream and make the movie.

(You can't tell from this picture, but Toni has the HUGEST feet on earth.)

Virtual Tour for 'The Smell of Gas' Rolls On

I'm telling true ghost stories at Sugar, Spice and Everything Paranormal today. Please join me for this, the current stop on the virtual book tour for The Smell of Gas.

Future tour dates:

Thursday, May 12 - My Hot Sex Storys - Explicit excerpt, plus some of MY favorite hot sex stories

Thursday, May 19 - Mila Ramos blog

Friday, May 27 - An Author's Tale - 4 Romantic Greek Myths

Tuesday, May 31 - Tour wrap-up at AO Bibliosphere

Book Giveaway/Guest Posts April 30, 2011

Melange Books is giving away several of its new releases tonight, including The Smell of Gas by Erin O'Riordan and Tit Elingtin! Melange authors Ruth J. Hartman, Bobbi Groover, Rie Sheridan Rose and Lewis Levite are blogging with me today at Nights of Passion. Our host is the incomparable C. Margery Kempe, not the historical mystic but the erotic writer featured in I Kissed a Girl. Stop by, leave a comment, maybe win the book!

You can also catch me guest-hosting the Weekend Creation Blog Hop at WordsInSync. Stop by and find some new favorites among the truly creative blogs, and read a new excerpt from The Smell of Gas.

Finally, come get your book geek on with me at Celebration of the Nerd.

Hope to see you there!

A Post Blogged by an Idiot, Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing

Melange Books has released The Smell of Gas, an erotic, pulp-style crime thriller by your humble author and her husband Tit Elingtin. It's available now in print and e-book formats. I don't want to blog about it here, though. I already blogged about it today on Breaking In Before Breaking Down. I would rather blog about...breakfast.

It was a fine, sunny morning in my home town this morning, so Tit Elingtin walked over to our usual breakfast spot, then went on a 3-mile walk along the river. I had the pancake special, chocolate chip pancakes. Delicious. Along with the chunks of candy in my breakfast, I was also treated to a hunk of eye candy, a guy at a table across from us who looked just like Sam Worthington. (I wish I had a Hunk du Jour photo to link to, but somehow HdJ has managed to miss the Aussie stunner.) Well, almost just like - this guy's hair was a little redder.

Many of you will remember Sam Worthington from Avatar. I like to remember him from Terminator: Salvation, because, well, I just like to think about Christian Bale.

I also like to remember Sam Worthington's interpretation of MacBeth. Those who love Claire and Leo in the contemporary telling of Romeo + Juliet (may Pete Postlethwaite rest in peace - best Friar Laurence ever!) will enjoy the 2006 version of MacBeth starring Worthington. I like the sexy, redheaded Scottish witches. They're like a trio of soothsaying Shirley Mansons.



This weekend I have rented, but have not yet watched, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead. Should be a good one, though. It has Hamlet, vampires and a score by Sean Lennon. So far, the best film take I've seen on the Hamlet story remains Royal Deceit, with Gabriel Byrne, Kate Beckinsale and Christian Bale. Not just Christian Bale, but a NAKED TEENAGE Christian Bale. Best Shakespearean version? I like Ethan Hawke's attempt. Julia Stiles is a particularly charming Ophelia.

Do not get me started on the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet. I will no longer watch films with that anti-Semitic, misogynistic douchebag. Except maybe Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome; Mel is canceled out by Tina Turner, feminist icon supreme and possible reincarnation of ancient Egyptian woman-pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Sooooo anyway, Sam Worthington's redder-haired doppelganger sat in the restaurant, eating sausages off a fork in a way that would make an erotica writer with an active imagination think impure thoughts. In stepped a cute woman with a ponytail, approximately Sam 2's age, and I thought they would make a good couple. They would have adorable babies. Because, you know, babies are what you're supposed to be thinking about when it's a warm spring day, you're surrounded by egg and bunny decorations and everybody's getting ready to celebrate Ostara.

I would like to have some brilliant post connecting the Pagan celebration of Ostara with Jewish Passover and Christian Easter, since Passover was this week and it is Easter weekend. I don't. I have this, a post blogged by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (I promise you a worthy Beltane post on May 1.) Buy a copy of The Smell of Gas!

https://amzn.to/49Sd9SB

'The Smell of Gas' Virtual Book Tour

On April 23, 2011, Melange Books (formerly Midnight Showcase) will release the erotic crime thriller The Smell of Gas, co-written by Erin O'Riordan and Tit Elingtin. We launched the first sneak peek at Chris Redding's blog on March 28. On April 26, the Smell of Gas Virtual Book Tour kicks into high gear. The Virtual Book Tour is still adding dates, so look for updates soon. The tour schedule so far:

Tuesday, April 26 - De's Stories

Friday, April 29 - Jen Wylie's Blog

Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1 - Words in Sync

Saturday, April 30 - Nights of Passion (with other Melange authors!)

Thurs. May 5 - Silver and Grace (for a change of pace, a Mother's Day post)

Saturday, May 7 - Jenny Hilborne's blog

Tuesday, May 31 - Tour wrap-up at AO Bibliosphere

Date TBD:
An Author's Tale
My Hot Sex Storys

Other Voices, Other Rooms, Other People's Blogs

A sneak peek of The Smell of Gas, the erotic crime novel I wrote with my husband, who goes by the pen name of Tit Elingtin, is available on Chris Redding's book blog.

"Best Prom Quotes Ever" is a just-for-fun post over at The Holiday Diva [defunct].

On March 30 and 31, leave a comment on Pagan Culture [defunct] for a chance to win "Spicy, Earthy, Sweet."

A little bit of I Made Out With a Teenage Communist! appears on Lea Ryan's blog.

More just-for-fun stuff I put out there includes Queens of the Blogosphere [defunct] and Notable Irish-American Women [defunct, reprinted here on Pagan Spirits Book Blog].

Finally, these are my favorite characters of all the ones I've written, at De's Stories [defunct].

https://amzn.to/44hFHUo