NIGHTSTAND

 

 

UNZIPPED SIXTEEN by Hallie Hart

 

House of Hart Publishing on Amazon, $12.99

 

 

Unzipped Sixteen is the first book in a gripping series inspired by the true-life journey of a young girl coming of age in Manhattan, tethered to a self-absorbed, emotionally unavailable, and alcoholic mother… 

 

The book is a provocative, emotionally charged, and sexy narrative exploring identity, desire, and the raw grit of survival. We see it all through the eyes of Allie Hart, a breathtaking sixteen-year-old force of nature navigating the glittering yet treacherous world of New York City’s elite. Allie is trapped in the orbit of her narcissistic, bipolar mother, Tory –- a stunning socialite who commands Manhattan but hides a dark, abusive side. Determined to harness her own beauty and resilience to escape her mother’s shadow, Allie embarks on a fast-paced odyssey through high society, where ambition, seduction, and manipulation collide in a stupendous display of opulence.

 

After a wave of lucrative deals, Tory orchestrates a “mother-daughter” trip to Paris, though her real motive is a tryst with Dominique, a charming French billionaire who is as handsome as he is wealthy. However, Dominique is instantly captivated by Allie’s innocence. Consumed by undeniable lust, he secretly schemes to whisk Allie away to his private yacht and home in St. Tropez, where he begins her corruption with sex and champagne, making her feel extra special in her own skin. Opening Pandora’s box, Dominique then foolishly introduces Allie to his friend James John, a sexy bad boy and elite fashion designer. James wants Allie for himself, and in this world of privilege and power, he always gets what he wants.

 

  ~ Lucia Gillot

 

 

 

 

CARMILLA by J Sheridan LeFanu

 

Lambda Press, Publication Date: May 13th, 2025 $12.95

 

 

One time, obsessed with Gothic Lit, I read Carmilla by J Sheridan LeFanu. 

 

I expected a dull read. It was… Hot. Really hot.To my pleasant surprise, the words of some19th-century author miraculously managed to make this 21st-century girl blush. I understand why something which so intimately touches the feminine spirit had been once banished from the public eye. The text was far too salacious for the presumed delicacy of a lady. 

 

One of the first foundational depictions of what is recognized to be THE archetypal modern “Vampire” is unanimously accepted by literary historians to be Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla. One of the very first pulp novellas of the Gothic genre, Carmilla, was written and published in 1872. Its narrative was deemed far too scandalous for the times due to the nature of its erotic, unapologetically romantic depiction of lesbianism in tandem with its portrayal of two promiscuous, sexually unrepressed female leads. This was a depiction of sexuality abstracted from the male gaze—something utterly unheard of to audiences of the Victorian era. 

 

The book incited a wave of moral panic, and its extended publication came to a standstill throughout the West. Despite this, Carmilla found a place amidst the underground subcultures of her time — amassing a bit of a cult following.  

 

One such reader went by the name of Bram Stoker. Entranced by the romance in its darkness, the taboo homosexual erotica, and its unique depiction of what had only been territory tread within exoticized Eastern folklore — Stoker uncovered a well of inspiration in Carmilla’s forbidden pages. And, he recognized its immense untapped potential for mass-marketability… an area he managed to succeed in where La Fanu could not.

 

Eventually, Stoker published an alternate novel. This retelling maintained near-identical story beats. He dumped the smutty, overtly girly romantic overtones in favour of a more masculine action-oriented structure. Most notably— he replaced the titular queer deuteragonist of Carmilla with a male character. 

 

Dracula was published in 1897. It was an international success almost overnight.

 

Carmilla faded into obscurity.

~ Masha Uzvin