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.

New, Original Writings on the Web

If you're not using Gather.com, you may have missed some of my latest, freshest writings. In case you did, let me catch you up:

My tribute to the late Betty Page: A Film Review
In honor of the passing of model Betty Page at the age of 85, I've decided to share my review of the 2001 DVD Betty Page in Bondage. If you are a Betty aficianado, you can rent the film from www.dvdavenue.com. Not one of my personal favorites, really, but here's the info you need to know before you rent the DVD:

"Actually, my favorite part of this DVD was when I first took it out of its sleeve. The picture on the disc itself is a pretty one. Betty Page had a really nice body. To truly enjoy this video, though, one would have to be a hard-core Page fan. It's composed entirely of antique "stag reels" of her . . . interesting 1950s costumes and music, but only mildly naughty by today's standards. Scenes of girl-on-girl bondage that were probably quite titillating in the mid-20th century are just rather quaint and even bizarre now."

Other Recent Posts:
Original Short Story, "God and The Devil Are Married" at http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977754375

Reprint of "Chocolate Jesus and the Oral Thing" at http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977754159

Review of Witch's Heart, a book by Tabitha Shay at http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977741950

And don't forget to take the latest Facebook quiz and find out "Which Beltane Character Are You?" You can find it at http://apps.facebook.com/whichbeltanesowgpc/?_fb_fromhash=3bb3bf9c249e2c69417dfeae82690e0c.

If you love Beltane, buy "Bomb Pop" from Erotique Press at www.erotiquepress.com. (Note: the website may be down for a redesign for a day or so, but keep checking back!)

Early June Update

Greetings, fellow readers!

I've had an awesome week. First, on Sunday, the literary goddess known as Blodeuedd (surely you remember her from Welsh Celtic mythology; she was the one made out of flowers) posted her review of Beltane. It's a great review; please visit books-forlife.blogspot.com to read it. There's also a link on my Review Links page on aeess.com.

https://amzn.to/4x3cOZX

Then I received an acceptance e-mail from Circlet Press. They're already publishing my short story "In the Lair of the Monster" in the Like a God's Kiss anthology. On Tuesday, I found out they also accepted "Invisible Touch" in the Like a Mask Removed(superhero erotica) anthology!

Today, there was more awesome anthology news: Maxim Jakubowski wants "Iced," a short story that premiered in Lucrezia magazine, for the Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica. What an honor to have a story selected without even submitting it!

BTW, if you are interested in building your own sci fi/fantasy anthology, please visit AnthologyBuilder.com. They've now accepted five of my stories, so look for them.

"Beyond Her Book" Blog Seeks Readers

Dear book-loving people,

Over the long weekend, I went to Milwaukee and had the pleasure of meeting book blogger/Publisher's Weekly editor Barbara Vey. I'm passing along her contact information because she is looking for readers willing to read some of the many books she acquires and write short (4 sentences) blurbs about them for her website. She especially needs erotica readers. If you read my book, Beltane, and enjoyed it (or books like it), please get in touch with her. She'll give you the books for free; all she asks is that you pay the shipping.

Barbara's information:
Barbara Vey
Contributing Editor, Publishers Weekly
Beyond Her Book blog
www.publishersweekly.com/BeyondHerBook
Twitter - http://twitter.com/barbaravey
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1113386705
MySpace - www.myspace.com/

In Other News:

My review of Ultra Flesh is now online at www.lucreziamagazine.com

If you've always wanted to edit your own anthology of sci-fi/fantasy stories and articles, visit www.anthologybuilder.com. Three of my stories are available there:
"Peter Parker's Aunt May Is A Goddess"
"Black Bear Skin"
"Poet's Day"

New and Upcoming Projects

BELTANE was featured at Fang-Tastic Books recently. I've got more blog dates coming up on May 18th and June 3rd; look for more details soon. Big thanks to all of you who stopped by to leave your comments and enter to win a free signed copy of BELTANE. Congratulations, Kimber L!

"Josephine Baker in Berlin" e-book is now available from www.readerjack.com. The cost is $2. "Jo Baker" was originally published by www.oystersandchocolate.com, but is no longer available in the O&C archives. [Update: Get it free at iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/josephine-baker-in-berlin/id447580842]

"In the Lair of the Monster," a retelling of the Greek myth of Medusa and Perseus, will be featured in the upcoming Circlet Press release Like A God's Kiss: Erotic Mythological Tales (Erotic Fantasy & Science Fiction Selections).

Lucrezia Magazine (www.lucreziamagazine.com) will soon feature my review of the film Ultra Flesh.

"Bomb Pop," an orally fixated fantasy, will soon be available as an e-book from Erotique Press. [Update: now published by Noble Romance and available for Kindle.]

You can always find links to my stories (many of them free!) at www.aeess.com.

BELTANE is now available in paperback on Amazon

CLICK HERE to get your copy of Beltane by me, Erin O'Riordan!

Beltane is a sexy romance. Allie is marrying the man of her dreams, Paul Phillip. A buttoned-down lawyer, he may not be "exciting," but he makes Allie feel like a princess. Allie's twin sister, Zen, takes a chance on Allie and Paul Phillip's wedding caterer, Chris. Chris is more the hit 'em and quit 'em type, though. When Zen meets hip businessman Orlando, she thinks she's found what her sister has with Paul Phillip. Which sister will end up with her true love?

The Surrender of Persephone: A Review

The Surrender of Persephone by Selena Kitt (2009; Phaze Books) retells the Classical Greek myth of the virgin goddess of spring, Persephone, and her abduction by the god of the Underworld, Hades. In myth, Persephone grows into her role as queen of the Underworld to become a powerful and mysterious goddess. In Kitt's uncensored version, Persephone chafes at her mother Demeter's restrictiveness and dim view of males, both human and divine.

On her way to gather wild flowers for her mother's harvest festival, Persephone pauses to watch a mortal laborer bathe in a stream, entranced by his beauty. She gets sidetracked by the goddesses Artemis and Athena, "virgin" goddesses who are off-limits to males but more than happy to dally with other immortal women. Despite such pleasurable divine intervention, Persephone still wonders, "Will the ache between my thighs only be satisfied by a man?"

Up from the depths of the earth comes Hades, also known as Aidon. He lifts Persephone into his chariot and takes her to the eerily lovely splendor of his Underworld kingdom, the land of the dead. In his mind, this is a perfectly acceptable arranged marriage, a deal between Aidon and Persephone's father Zeus. Persephone feels a mixture of fear and attraction to the handsome, amber-eyed god. Slowly, he introduces her to a world of sensual delights balanced with controlled pain.

I'm not usually a fan of books about bondage, dominance and submission. If I were, I would probably prefer the women on top. Aidon dominates Persephone, and from Kitt's skillful writing, it is also abundantly clear he loves her. The couple comes to love one another and seem to be meant to be together. The sweetness balances the S+M themes.

Only two things slightly mar this darkly romantic tale. One is the implied heterosexism. Why shouldn't Persephone's encounters with Athena and Artemis be as satisfying as her encounters with Aidon? The other is Debi Lewis's cover art. The models are beautiful, but don't quite match the book's descriptions of its divine beings.

Otherwise, The Surrender of Persephone is a highly enjoyable erotic romance. Pour yourself a nice glass of pomegranate juice and settle in for a good read.