Mail order brides exposed in new Irish book

Hot Press Books will publish Sex Lines by Irish author and journalist Olaf Tyaransen on July 15th. Sex Lines is the follow-up to the hugely successful memoir The Story Of O, published by Hot Press in 2000.

The centrepiece of Sex Lines, is ‘To Ukraine For Love’, an exploration and expose of the mail-order bride business in Ukraine.

Tyaransen travelled to the state, which was formerly part of the U.S.S.R, risking life and limb in his search for a mail-order bride. A breathtaking, high-octane roller coaster ride, ‘To Ukraine For Love’ is funny, touching and brilliantly observant, taking the reader to the heart of a strange, exotic and sometimes threatening world. But it is also a kind of love story, as the writer finds himself drawn into the lives of the Ukrainian women in unexpected ways.

In addition to the Ukraine odyssey, Sex Lines also gives free rein to Tyaransen's unique take on the absurdities and intimacies of the erotic underbelly. He visits a spanking party for an evening, attends the filming of a full-on porn movie, goes lap-dancing in Dublin, gets hand-cuffed to a German beauty at the Love Parade in Berlin, and spends a day working in a sex shop. The book also features interviews with the London sex impresario, Peter Stringfellow, and with superstar model Christy Turlington.

Tyaransen's acclaimed autobiography, The Story Of O, received glowing reviews from the likes of Howard Marks, John Connolly and Irvine Welsh. We can expect even more of the same for Sex Lines.

According to Niall Stokes, Editor of Hot Press, "The success of The Story Of O confirmed that Olaf's freewheeling, confessional style is a hit with readers – especially those who are not of a faint-hearted disposition! Well, he's done it again in this second volume. Olaf's trip to Ukraine in search of a bride is a human interest saga that almost everyone will relate to, touching as it does on love, marriage and lust - and the role that fantasy so often plays in these essential aspects of people's lives.

"Plus, there's some great comic writing in both this and in the other stories in the book. I have no doubt that Sex Lines will confirm Olaf's reputation as one of this country's brightest talents."

The publication of Tyaransen's new collection coincides with the release of Nicole Kidman's new film Birthday Girl, in which Kidman plays the part of a mail-order bride. The film opens, nation-wide, on July 12.

Sex Lines by Olaf Tyaransen is published by Hot Press Books

For further information contact Katherine Drohan or Ken Allen at Hot Press on (353 1) 2411500