In Sleeping Beauty's Bed: Bawdy Fairy Tales by Mitzi Szereto

Pure, naughty fun: Mitzi Szereto's multicultural fractured fairy tales (Cleis Press, 2009)aren't for kids, but they are the kind you could read out loud in a pub to amuse your friends. In that, they resemble the oral versions of classic tales told around campfires in ages past. (Along with the tales, the author also includes a brief introduction giving some information about the story's origin.) Like the ale-soaked storytellers of old, Srezeto injects a good dose of humor into each bawdy yarn. She retells European fairy tales, including "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Rapunzel," but also ventures into Middle Eastern and Asian fairy tales, giving each a unique, humorous twist undreamt-of by the original tellers. This book will sit comfortably on my personal bookshelf in between Feminist Fairy Tales and The Virago Book of Erotic Myths and Legends.

One note: very sensitive readers may wish to bypass "Michel Michelkleiner's Good Luck," as it contains scenes of violence some may find offensive.

Publishing Tidbits

First things first: On a personal note, I'm saddened by the passing of one of my Gather and FaceBook friends, Chana Mager. Chana was a poet, and she always encouraged me in my writings. She will be missed, and our hearts go out to her husband Steve and her family.

Now, on to all things literary. My short story "Animal Appetites" will appear in the premiere issue of Encounters magazine. Check it out at www.blackmatrixpub.com.

In other print news, this month's contribution to Poetic Monthly magazine is an interview with talented poet Sherry Theriault. Look for it at Poetic Monthly.

"Beltane," the original short story on which the first Pagan Spirits novel was based, will appear in the October issue of Main Street Magazine. It was originally published at The Erotic Woman, which will soon publish my Gretchen Wilson-inspired short story "Redneck Woman."

Speaking of webzines, check out the brand-new horror/fantasy/true crime e-zine The Laughing Face of Madness at http://web.me.com/cnelsonncc/The_Laughing_Face_of_Madness/Your_Stories.html. It features my story "Red Moon." It's one of my earliest stories, so try not to make fun.

But you're welcome to laugh at my tongue-in-cheek essay "Getting a Rise From the Machines: Terminator as Erotica." It's being published this month by Oysters & Chocolate.

Finally, you can read my take on the legend of Medusa in the Circlet Press anthology Like a God's Kiss. You can read it right now at Scib'd. It should hold you over until Pagan Spirits Book Two: Midsummer Night releases on December 14.

That's all for now. Time for me to return to working on Book Three and await the premiere episode of The Vampire Diaries!