Radley’s Home for Horny Monsters
Horny Monsters Book 1
by Annabelle Hawthorne
Genre: Erotic Modern Fantasy
Read the story that won both Best Erotic Fantasy and Best Erotic Story by a New Author in the 2018 Clitoride Awards!
“If you like sexy fantasy, and I do, this is one great read.” -Piers Anthony, author of the Xanth series
When Mike Radley inherited a mysterious old house from a long-lost relative, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
He didn’t expect a sexual encounter with the nymph in his bathtub.
He really didn’t expect to discover a house full of affectionate monsters.
And he definitely didn’t expect a pair of witches bent on stealing the home’s magic from him.
Welcome to the Radley House. Expect the unexpected.
Disclaimer: This erotic fantasy contains graphic sex scenes with mythological beings.
Book Trailer
Guest Post
How do you stay focused on one story for so long without writing something else?
I think it’s very common for a writer to, midway through any story, suddenly be struck by another idea. It’s very much like that popular meme where a man is walking with his girlfriend, but he has turned away to look at a “prettier” woman.
Those new stories demand attention, and it can be so satisfying to indulge them, if even only for a few minutes. When you decide to sit down and write a story, it’s very much like entering into a relationship. You have to decide how badly you want to remain committed from day one.
The Home for Horny Monsters series (which is still being written) weighs in at over half a million words as of today. I am nearing completion on the first draft of book four, and hope to start editing book three any day now. The reason I bring this up is because I believe that this series will help me gain the readership necessary to bring proper attention to other stories I want to tell.
Like many other authors, I have a file folder on my computer full of stories that died within the first ten thousand words. It’s a natural instinct to want to chase these stories, but you can’t ever publish anything if you never chase them to completion. The couple of times I’ve chosen to indulge in those instincts was to write some short stories that helped flesh out the monster-verse, but that was it.
Do I want to write a science fiction story with erotic elements? Oh yeah. What about a romantic tale about a woman recapturing that magic spark with her husband after twenty years of marriage? Mmm-hmm. I make notes to myself about these tales and feverishly work on what I have in the hopes that, someday, I can have it all.
How do you balance a roster of unique, yet relatable characters?
As the Horny Monster series has grown and evolved, I’ve definitely run into an issue having such a large cast of characters. Readers love meeting new monsters and learning how they interact with Mike on a personal level, and that has been one of the mainstays of the series.
However, I think the balance lies in finding creative ways to limit the number of participants in each novel. When I introduce new characters, I think about how they will relate to other members of the house, and if those relationships will help carry the story forward.
It’s been difficult to do, partially because I never want to make a story where some characters just don’t exist for some reason. I am actually writing a spin-off novel starring Lily the succubus to explain her absence during book three, and in book four, a new addition to the monster roster shorts out the ancient electrical system in the house, forcing Tink to spend several days stringing new wire through the home. These characters never go away, but they definitely move around along the sidelines.
As for being relatable, whenever I create a new character, I think of the process like the formation of a snowflake. Snowflakes are some of the most beautiful, intricate things that can be found in nature, but they require a single speck of dust or pollen to form in the first place. I pull this speck from myself, or somebody I know really well, and allow the crystals to grow.
For example, Tink wants Mike to love her. That’s it, and it’s at the core of everything she does. Cecilia wants him to see her for who she is, because she’s lonely. Abella wants to indulge her curiosity, etc. Through the layers of complexity, I think readers can really feel and relate to these core concepts.
Do you plan your books or write them by the seat of your pants?
I’m sure you are hoping for a very compelling and detailed answer, so here you go:
Both!
I have an outline in my brain about how I want the opening scene of the book to look and how I want the ending scene to look. I create an overarching plot for the book that allows me plenty of freedom to write by the seat of my pants and allow my characters to run free in the world I have created.
Now, I also use this process for each chapter. The big difference there is that once I start the chapter, I promise myself that I do not have to end up where I want my characters to be. Sometimes, this means that what should have happened takes an additional chapter or two (or never even happens in the first place!). New characters and story elements that I have written off to the side will sometimes come up to me and scream “I would be perfect for this moment!” and I do my best to listen.
A good example is the characters in Book One. Naia the nymph, Abella the gargoyle, and Cecilia the banshee were all planned in early chapters, but while writing a passage about Mike trying to fix Naia’s fountain, it occurred to me that the house must have had a monstrous handyman. That single thought created the character of Tink the goblin, who has been hands-down a fan favorite. amongst readers. I have a few characters in my books that never should have existed, but sort of sprang into being as a result of writing off the cuff.
Also, a benefit of being active with my reading community is I get to see dialogue and excitement over where they think the story is going, and this sometimes sparks magnificent ideas that I can incorporate as well.
I do have the overall plot of the next few books already planned out, but there will be surprises, both for myself and my readers. I know I can’t wait to find out!
Book Review
Well now, this was an unexpectedly entertaining read! Don’t get me wrong, it sounded like a fun read, and I went into it with high expectations for a little monster erotica, but I was not expecting the level of supernatural detail, the sheer imaginative whimsy, or the depth of the storytelling. I enjoyed Radley’s Home for Horny Monsters far more than I expected, and I’m eager to explore more of Annabelle Hawthorne’s shelves.
The whole creepy Victorian house of secrets and mysterious inheritance angle had me intrigued from the start, and I liked how damaged Mike clearly was, but where this really wowed me was with the watery erotica of his first encounter with translucent Naia. The visuals of that scene were unlike anything else I’d ever read, and . . . well, I think that lovely nymph snatched a piece of my soul as well.
The first few chapters are basically a magical bestiary of monsters within the house – nymph, goblin, gargoyle, banshee – each of whom Mike must struggle to understand before forming an erotic connection as Caretaker and protector. The darkness begins to creep in with the discovery of the hungry, monstrous gardens of the greenhouse and only grows (no pun intended) more chilling with the arrival of the fire lizard and the exposure of the witch’s plans for Mike and the monsters. What started out as a sexy romp soon becomes a genuine supernatural thriller – still sexy, still monstrous, but with dangerous stakes and violent confrontations.
Radley’s Home for Horny Monsters is a place I would very much like to visit again, especially as there are so many unanswered questions, so consider me hugely excited to know we’ll be entering the Labyrinth soon.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
** Coming Soon! **
Radley’s Labyrinth for Horny Monsters
Horny Monsters Book 2
About the Author
Annabelle Hawthorne lives somewhere deep in the Rocky Mountains and spends her days working hard to write you some of the best erotic literature money can buy.
When not writing, she spends time with her family and can always be found within spitting distance of some form of coffee.
Website * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads * Discord * Patreon
Giveaway
Kindle Paperwhite – 1 winner https://www.amazon.com/All-new-Kindle-Paperwhite-Waterproof-Storage/dp/B08412B9N5
$20 Amazon giftcard– 2 winners
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/radleys-home-for-horny-monsters-book-tour-and-giveaway
Beauty in Ruins 
I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read and review! I super appreciate it, and hope that you enjoy Radley’s Labyrinth just as much (or even more).
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Oh, you are very welcome! Thanks for inviting me in to enjoy. 🙂
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