In a rare glimpse at the real life of a porn star, Heather Hunter shares a fictional account inspired by her own emergence in the adult film industry with the story of Simone Young. Simone is dying to become a star but her mother thinks if she's old enough to stay out all night partying, then she's old enough to get a real job. And that is exactly what Simone does, only she finds work in a world that changes her life forever. When Simone's best friend Carmen introduces her to the game of sex work, she embarks on a path she could have never imagined.

"'What makes a teen yearn to be a porn star diva? Porn star Hunter answers that question with the full-frontal portrait of Simone Young, a young New Yorker who decides to gain control of her life through selling her body. Simone's introduced to 'the life' by Carmen, a former classmate turned prostitute who persuades Simone to get her freak on. Not content with being a hooker, Simone works at a hip-hop club, moves on to a massage parlor, becomes a stripper and, eventually, a porn superstar in L.A. By age 21, she retires, deciding the adult entertainment industry, numerous affairs and substance abuse will never fulfill her. Hunter and Valentine's depiction of Simone's descent into a brittle, hedonistic world leaves little to the imagination, and Simone's transformation in the resolution remains moving if out of left field. Illus. with photos of Hunter. (July)' Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

In a rare glimpse at the real life of a porn star, Heather Hunter shares a fictional account inspired by her own emergence in the adult film industry with the story of Simone Young. Ever since she was a little girl, Simone Young wanted to be a star, to find unconditional love in the faces of millions of adoring fans. But when she looks for love in all the wrong places, she ends up on a path she never could have anticipated. When Simone goes from stripper to overnight porn star, she finds herself caught up in a world of scandalous sex, drugs, and fame that comes with a price. She soon learns that to play with the big dogs, you've got to be willing to go all the way and almost loses herself in the process. But Simone is determined not only to survive, but to find the love she deserves. The question is, what will it cost her in the end?

In a rare glimpse into the real life of a porn star, Hunter shares a fictional account of her own emergence and stunning rise in the adult film industry with the story of Simone Young.

HEATHER HUNTER, one of the porn industry's best known actresses, was the first African-American to gain widespread popularity. The Bronx, New York native was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2003. MICHELLE VALENTINE, a cum laude graduate of Marymount College, has been in the entertainment industry for many years. She lives in Bronx, New York with her family.