Hello. I’m Susan Laine. I’m a Finn and the author of Femme Faux Fatale, a contemporary mystery book that came out two days ago, on November 2oth, by Dreamspinner Press.
You’ll find more info on the story below, but here’s a quick rundown: This is a love story between a surly private detective and a sultry burlesque starlet who both end up in a dark and seedy (and sexy) adventure.
Today I’m a guest here at Boy Meets Boy—thank you kindly for having me—to talk about one of the themes in the story, which is… pin-up art.
I was way too young, just a pre-teen, when I first encountered pin-up art. Namely through the artist Olivia De Berardinis, or just Olivia as she’s called. She’s an American artist most known for drawing beautiful, semi-clad women. Her pin-up art, especially, is utterly amazing, beautiful and detailed. Wish I could share them with you… *sigh* Ah well, guess you’ll have to look her up yourself: http://eolivia.com/
In any case, pin-up art, for those who are not familiar with the term, is a photograph, drawing, or painting of a pin-up girl—or a male pin-up to a lesser extent. These pin-up models can be famous actors or singers, fashion models or simply celebrities of any variety. An air of glamour is key.
What makes art pin-up? Most people recognize them on sight. The models are sex symbols of their era, be it Bettie Page or Bernie Dexter, a Vargas Girl or an Olivia cheesecake. The models are, as expected, either half-dressed or fully naked, mostly the former, though.
Despite the semi-nudity, however, with pin-ups a girl celebrates her sexuality in the public sphere. It’s all about female beauty but also about female empowerment, how a woman doesn’t need to hide her body or her sexuality from the public world of men. The racy images are a blow against the patriarchy trying to control women. It is self-expression taken to the extreme in terms of visual delivery. The phenomenon even allowed women of color to come out in public as sexual, independent women, such as Josephine Baker in her infamous banana skirt.
While pin-up is associated with the 1950’s and WWII era, pin-up art style exists today too, in a type of subculture, much like burlesque. Be it Lana Del Rey’s song “Pin Up Galore” or Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman,” modern pop culture has embraced the iconography of pin-ups and made them their own.
Long live pin-ups!
My story stars a male burlesque starlet who adores pin-ups. It’s a part of his lifestyle and persona. And why not? It’s fun and colorful and pretty. Add to that a grouchy private dick who loves dime detective stories, dangerous Hollywood nobility, plus a crime of the century, and you get… Femme Faux Fatale.
Here’s the blurb:
“Mystery. Murder. Men in silk stockings. Hollywood nights are heating up.
Hardboiled Los Angeles PI Cain Noble is hired by wealthy and gorgeous Camille Astor to find her husband and a priceless work of art, both of which have disappeared.
At the nightclub owned by Mr. Astor, Cain encounters the mesmerizing Lily Lavender, who has the body of a goddess and the sultry voice of an angel—but is really a young man named Riley who attracts trouble like a magnet.
What’s a private dick in the vein of LA’s bygone era and a cross-dressing burlesque starlet to do when faced with the hidden decadence and lethal dangers of the Hollywood Hills? They have their work cut out for them because they haven’t even scratched the surface of an elaborate scheme more twisted than anyone could ever have imagined.”
Once again, thank you Boy Meets Boy, for having me here today. And, as promised, here’s a short exclusive excerpt from the book. Enjoy!
“As Cain studied the posters, his hands still over Riley’s hips, Riley looked at the images too, loving the look of them, as he’d done from the beginning.
“That one’s by Olivia and it’s called Tapioca.”
Riley pointed at a poster where a voluptuous girl lay on her side on a bed with white sheets and pillows, wearing a white silk corset, black silk stockings, and a black transparent mask. She held a long pinkish-white ribbon casually above her blonde curls, and two cats lay curled up beside her. On the bed and on her leg rested several theatrical masks.
“Why?” Cain asked, seemingly baffled. The picture had no tapioca in it.”
That’s it for now. Thanks for taking the time to check out this guest post. I hope you enjoy the book as well.
Dreamspinner Press buy link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/femme-faux-fatale-by-susan-laine-9982-b
Author website where all my social media and other writing-related sites can be found: http://www.susan-laine-author.fi/
Author bio: “Susan Laine, a Finn through and through, was raised by the best mother in the world. She told her daughter time and again that she could be whatever she wanted to be. It still took Susan discovering the gay erotic romance genre before she dared to take the leap into the publishing world.
Her formal education revolves around anthropology, but her hope is to be a full-time writer. Susan enjoys hanging out with her sister and friends in movie theaters and bookstores. Her other pastimes include walking, swimming, and fantasizing about sizzling hot manlove. Some of her likes are pop music, chocolate, and doing the dishes, and a few dislikes are sweating hot summer days, tobacco smoke, and purposeful prejudice.
Visit Susan’s website at www.susan-laine-author.fi/ or write her an email at susan.laine@hotmail.com”
Thank you for sharing and congrats and good luck on the release!
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