Marissa Monteilh (aka Pynk)

Photo Credit @ Marie Thomas

Marissa Monteilh (Mon-tay), writing as Pynk, is the best-selling author of seven mainstream novels, May December Souls, The Chocolate Ship, Hot Boyz, Dr. Feelgood, Something He Can Feel, and Make Me Hot. Make Me Hot was an African American Literary Award nominee. She also contributed to an erotica anthology called Morning Noon and Night: Can't Get Enough. An updated version of The Chocolate Ship will be released in August 2009, and the follow-up to Hot Boyz, called The Ladies of Ladera, hits the shelves in September 2009.

Marissa writes erotica under the pseudonym, Pynk. The first Pynk title, Erotic City, will be released by Warner Books in November 2008, and the second title, Sexaholics, comes out in October 2009.

The youngest of three and the only girl, Marissa was born in Los Angeles, California to creative parents who were both World War II veterans. Her father was a well-known tenor sax player, and her mother was an actress. At the age of twelve, Marissa was praised by her junior high school English teacher for her superb writing ability. She would sneak to read her mother's books by James Baldwin but mainly read Nancy Drew mysteries and comic books, and hungered regularly for the arrival of her book-a-month orders at school. Though she had a zest for reading and a recognized gift of writing, Marissa, a gifted student who skipped the sixth grade, was also very good at math and after high school, she attended California State University at Northridge where she studied finance and modeled part-time. Marissa married her high school sweetheart and had three children by the time she was twenty-seven, all while working her way up in the banking industry to the position of regional operations analyst. After working in banking for more than a decade, Marissa took a position as a senior executive assistant to the President of Twentieth Century Fox, and then as an office manager for Quincy Jones Entertainment and for film directors, Tony and Ridley Scott. She also worked for the television show Hard Copy as an assistant producer where she was approached by a director at Fox news to work for KMPH as a news reporter in Fresno, California. She was praised for her news writing and encouraged to produce and host a talk show called The Opposite Sex. In the late-90's she was a commercial actress and print model for many top companies, including Disney, Coca-Cola, and Sprint, yet she jokes that her most prized assignment was playing the part of a news reporter on The Power Rangers.

In 1998, after being inspired by relationship-type novels by Terry McMillan, Marissa wrote her first book, May December Souls, which was semi-autobiographical. She shopped the manuscript to agents and editors for two years (saved every rejection letter) before self-publishing the title in 2000, and by the next year, she secured an agent and was involved in an auction with three major publishers. She signed with Harper Collins for three books and then later with Kensington for two titles, as well as an urban title with Life Changing Books. In 2006, Marissa decided to branch off into erotica and created the name Pynk as a way to identify the erotic side of her works. She has never forgotten that defining moment when her English teacher acknowledged her writing talents years ago.

Marissa now lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her family and is also trying her hand at playwriting, adapting May December Souls into a stage play, set to debut in 2010. She enjoys reading books by Eric Jerome Dickey, HoneyB, and Jennifer Gilmore, among others.

Sixty-Nine
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Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446563331
ISBN-13: 978-0446563338
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8.2 inches

It's New Year's Eve 2008, and best friends Magnolia Butler, Rebe Richardson, and Darla Clark, all born in 1969, are about to turn the dreaded 4-0 in January 2009.

Magnolia, a New Year's Day baby, is childless, and always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Rebe, the mother of a college-aged daughter named Trinity, has just gone through a divorce from a man whose sexual appetite far exceeded her desires and abilities. Darla is also a New Year's Day baby, still mourning her husband's death after five years. After way too many glasses of champagne, Rebe, challenges them to open their minds in a way they'd never done before, daring them to try something new...sexually. SIXTY-NINE is a liberating story about sisterhood and friendship, and about how past experiences and beliefs can influence one's views about life and sex.

Sexaholics
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by Pynk

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 16, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446179582
ISBN-13: 978-0446179584

Miki, Valencia, Teela Raye, and Brandi share one thing...they are all addicted to sex. United through Sexaholics Anonymous, these women try to recover from their dependence on wild, spontaneous, and even sometimes, dangerous sex. From whips and chains, to sex in public, they have done it all! Led by Dr. Rachel Cummings, each woman takes the first step to recovery by sharing her biggest sexual act with the group. SEXAHOLICS takes readers through the outrageous experiences of four women on their long path to success.

Erotic City
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by Pynk

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 14, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446179574

The sizzling novel EROTIC CITY from the racy veteran author Marissa Monteilh, writing as Pynk, is a fast-paced ride through the liberated streets of downtown Atlanta. Determined to make her club a success, Milan Kennedy will have to make sure the walls are strong enough to keep the public's judgments out and the sexual fantasies of the elite within.

Picture Erotic City: a haven for hip, upscale swingers to get their groove on without allowing their inhibitions or societal speculation to get in the way. Located in the heart of Atlanta, this lavish three-story sexual mecca is the new business venture of Milan Kennedy. It is a titillating sanctuary for the social elite to show off their status and indulge in their fetishes in a carefree space where the sky is the limit. This is a lifestyle that pushes the envelope and tickles the senses. However, with the freedoms that this club provides, one can only expect restraints from the outside to eventually seep in through the cracks. Will the blood and sweat that Milan put into Erotic City be sabotaged by jealousy and outside censorship?

Something He Can Feel
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by Marissa Monteilh

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Life Changing Books (February 15, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934230863
ISBN-13: 978-1934230862

Marina Maxwell, a successful news anchor in Atlanta, has had anger issues with men since high school. But, she believes she can calm her fiery temper once the right man comes into her life. In walks tall and handsome Mangus Baskerville, a police officer who's feeling her so tough that he quickly proposes marriage. Yet once the I Do's are exchanged, Mangus discovers the other side of Marina . . . a side that is flawed through anger. Can Mangus stand by his abusive woman even when the other woman lurks nearby? And can Marina learn to mellow her violent ways just in time?

Hot Boyz
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by Marissa Monteilh

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Avon (January 30, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061227617
ISBN-13: 978-0061227615

Celebrity, sex, money, and violence are all components of HOT BOYZ, a family drama that explores the lives of three brothers, Mason, Claude and Torino Wilson, along with their matriarchal mother, Mattie Wilson, who suffers from Alzheimer's. The Wilson brothers are well-to-do African American men who live in an upscale neighborhood of Los Angeles called Ladera Heights, also known as the "Black Beverly Hills."

Fine and famous, Mason Wilson is blessed with a beautiful, loving wife, two teenage children, and superstar status as a very well known professional golfer. The demands of his career absorb his valuable time, and his wife and children feel the strain of his absence. He must deal with the pressures from all sides yet not risk losing himself in the process. Can he have it all and still keep what matters most?

The middle brother is Claude Wilson, a rich and successful realtor in Ladera Heights. He must face a tragic loss and also come to terms with a commitment he made to love, honor and cherish a woman who made a deal with his ex. He discovers secrets that challenge his relationship and his sanity.

Torino Wilson is the handsome and carefree baby boy who runs the honeys and runs his brother Mason's club called Foreplay. Torino had a set back years ago that he is destined to overcome, and deep down, his desire to settle down like his brothers weighs heavy on his mind. But is it in his heart, or just expected of him by others?

Filled with intrigue, romance and shocking twists, HOY BOYZ is a gripping tale of the blood-lined struggles of three men who attempt to make their families whole again and who learn to understand the importance of living up to a promise.

Dr. Feelgood
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by Marissa Monteilh

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Dafina (January 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758211228
ISBN-13: 978-0758211224

They call him Dr. Feelgood'

One woman would never be enough to satisfy noted cardiologist Dr. Makkai Worthy, better known by his sex partners as Dr. Feelgood. Womanizer extraordinaire, he's a chip off the old block of his rolling-stone papa and commitment isn't an option. At 37 and single, he's happier than he's ever been, living the lifestyle of the rich and fine. A gifted surgeon, Dr. Feelgood knows how to operate in the O.R. by day. But by night, it's his smooth operations in the bedroom that are driving his four main squeezes crazy.

First, there's demanding-diva Georgia. She's bound and determined to be the doctor's one and only until suspicions arise that she's keeping something on the down low. Mary Jane is a sweetheart of a nurse who works in Dr. Feelgood's cardiology unit. He tries to stay hands off, until a player friend starts to make a move and he's forced to stake his claim. Self-absorbed Monday is as fast as the day is long, and she boasts that she can bag any man without getting serious; but the sexually talented Dr. Feelgood flips the script and uncovers another side of Monday. Spicy Salina's white husband is not one to share, so when he's sent to jail for choking the good doctor, the drama really begins.

Dr. Feelgood's escapades as a true player could force him to finally settle down, or they might just motivate him to begin another affair of the heart. Watch out, because the ladies are lining up, and the doctor is in '

Make Me Hot
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by Marissa Monteilh

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: TURNAROUND PUBLISHER (June 30, 2006)
ISBN-10: 075821121X
ISBN-13: 978-0758211217

Morgan Bayley has always had a distinctive look - big eyes, a wide smile . . . and an unusually large nose. She still carries the emotional scars that come from looking different, and it's definitely shaped her life. Morgan was seduced and abandoned by the first boy who showed her any attention, and she had a three-year old daughter, Corliss, by the time she graduated high school. At that time, she also lost her loving, supportive mother, leaving her with a domineering father who always seemed to favor her beautiful sister, Olympia.

Now, at thirty-nine, Morgan's come a long way - she has a fulfilling career, owns a cozy home, and is very close to Corliss. However, she's still carrying around her old, sorry self-image . . . and dating Jabril, who's as curt and critical as her father.

But everything changes when her best girlfriend, Tyra, enters Morgan in a makeover contest. At first, Morgan refuses to participate. Then she catches Jabril chatting online at BeautifulGirls.com - and decides to go for it! During the long, difficult plastic surgery process, Morgan starts surfing the Internet herself, and soon "meets" a sweet guy named J.J. They don't exchange photos, but Morgan tells him to watch her unveiling on BET. The makeover is a huge success: the brand-new Morgan is beautiful and bold. However, her transformation sets unexpected events in motion, uncovering long-buried secrets, lies and emotions. Will Morgan's journey of self-discovery bring more pain . . . or will she finally learn that true beauty comes from the inside out?

The Chocolate Ship
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by Marissa Monteilh

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Avon A; 1st edition (January 7, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060011483
ISBN-13: 978-0060011482

After three years together, Mia can't help wondering if she's got a real future with Miles -- who's all that and then some, as long as the words "love" and "commitment" don't creep into the conversation. But the lady's willing to put her doubts aside until after the vacation they've planned together with a group of their closest friends: a luxurious Caribbean cruise on the maiden voyage of the Chocolate Ship. The brainchild of billionaire black entrepreneur Delmonte Harrison, it's the "Love Boat" with a soulful spin.

En route to Paradise, anything can happen and anything goes. Wings are sprouted, taboos are tolerated, truths are revealed, hearts are broken and reassembled -- and lovin' is served up as hot as Caribbean spice. All of a sudden Miles has a new crew of admirers. And Mia, who has caught the roving eye of the very fine Delmonte Harrison himself, is well on her way to discovering that temptation fever does not discriminate.

From Marissa Monteilh, the acclaimed author of May December Souls, comes a sizzling, sexy, fabulous, funny, and wonderfully romantic adventure of personal discoveries and glorious reawakenings on the unpredictable sea of love.

May December Souls
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by Marissa Monteilh

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTorch (December 28, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060502800
ISBN-13: 978-0060502805

As aspiring broadcast journalist Mariah Pijeaux is about to turn the big 4-0, she takes stock of her life and yearns for more. Particularly after she comes to terms with the fact that she is physically addicted to her boyfriend of seven years, Kareem Washington, an ex-professional basketball player with the charm and charisma of a politician. Mariah yearns for a more emotionally satisfying relationship. She wants to break free from his narcissistic patterns, yet his skill at manipulating her mind and body make her feel stuck and controlled. Mariah attends local relationship seminars in an attempt to break her self-defeating patterns in relationships. And then she meets Malik Tolliver - a tall, dark, handsome man who just happens to be 21 years old. She tries to resist his charm, but is immediately drawn to him as she finds that the similarities of their lives are too intense and spiritual to ignore. Mariah's fears are about to be challenged through this May December romance. Told in Mariah's own voice, this is a moving story of soul searching and life lessons

Related Links

Pynk's Website
www.authorpynk.com

Marissa Monteilh's Website
http://www.marissamonteilh.com

Hachette Book Group
http://www.hbgusa.com