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.

Join Me At Book Talk, Feb. 21-22!

Please join me at http://booksbypickles.blogspot.com this weekend (Feb, 21-22, 2009). My guest spot begins at 8am Saturday and runs through 11am Sunday. I'll be discussing my novel Beltane and all things literary. Be sure to leave a comment; one lucky commenter will win a signed copy of my short story anthology.

You can also find details on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=56417007062&ref=nf#/event.php?eid=56417007062&ref=mf

Bittersweet Romance, Shiny Objects, and Satan's Cheerleaders

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Spicy, Earthy, Sweet

Dig in to a delectable winter treat, as warm as a potato pancake on a frosty Hanukkah night!

Caught up in the magic of the Festival of Lights, Gabriella wants everything to be perfect for her holiday with Jared. Jared has very specific tastes-and a slight obsession with teasing the individual flavors out of the aromas of fine wines. Even the kosher wine he chooses for the first night of Hanukkah is subjected to his beloved wine aroma wheel.

But wine is not the only thing that can be tasted, analyzed, and savored. Gabriella and Jared discover new uses for Jared's favorite toy as the Hanukkah candles burn down...

Read "Spicy, Earthy, Sweet" by Erin O'Riordan at http://www.ravenousromance.com/ravenous-rendezvous/spicy-earthy-sweet.php

Erin O'Riordan, despite what her Irish name may lead you to believe, is of mixed Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Pagan descent. Following the philosophy of Joan Borysenko, she proudly embraces all of her diverse spiritual heritage. Her spiritual-sexual writings include the Pagan-ritual-inspired erotic novel Beltane, from Eternal Press. Visit her home page at www.aeess.com .

UPDATE (January 2015): Find "Spicy, Earthy, Sweet" at my Etsy shop, Writer's Brain Has Wings.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208636827/spicy-earthy-sweet-romance-short-story-e?

Some of my most recent stories and articles

Anthologies: My short story "Oliver's Famous Clam Chowder" is featured in the Torquere Press anthology Love Bites, now out in paperback and e-book. (Yikes! There's an editing mistake in the print edition, with the same character called by 2 different names!)

Look for my story "Bringing Eddie His Lunch" in The Mammoth Book of Erotic Confessions, coming in May 2009 from Carroll and Graf.

My short story "Handsome and Regretful" appears in a chapbook from Down in the Dirt.

Can't decide what to read first? Check out my short fiction collection.

Stand-Alone Short Stories: My short story, "Iced," appears online at www.lucreziamagazine.com. Lucrezia also published my review of a Jenna Jameson film in late August/early Sept.

Playgirl published my story "Going With the Flow" in the June issue. Oysters and Chocolate (www.oystersandchocolate.com) has published my review of the film Blue Magic and my short story "Cinnamon Honey Bear."

Contests: My story "Robo" received Honorable Mention in the fiction contest at FortheGirls.com. I've recently entered my short story "The Hope" in a fiction contest at Oysters and Chocolate (look for details soon).

Coming up next: Bent magazine will publish my story "Bat Mitzvah," and Sinister Wisdom will publish one called "Soaked."

I've also written fiction and essays for webzines including Clean Sheets and The Shadow Sacrament. If you're over 18, see aeess.com for details.

I Finished the First Draft of MIDSUMMER NIGHT

When my first novel, Beltane, was released by Eternal Press last month, I let all of my readers know that Beltane was going to be the first in the 12-part romance series I'm calling Pagan Spirits. Tonight, I've finally completed the first draft of the second novel in the series. I'm calling it Midsummer Night.

Now the real fun-editing-begins!

Midsummer Night continues the story of Zenobia "Zen" Van Zandt. When we last left her, she was falling in love with handsome graduate student Ramesh Sudra. She was also embarking on a new career as a midwife, incorporating her knowledge of Pagan and witchcraft tradition with Western medicine. The love between Zen and Ramesh will be tested, however, first by her year-long vow of celibacy, then by a undergraduate student who comes between them, and finally by Ramesh's tradition-minded family. Will their story be one of happily-ever-after, or only might-have-been?

Find Beltane at www.eternalpress.ca/beltane.html. If you enjoy red-blooded romance and write reviews, I would sincerely appreciate some reviews of Beltane. You can read more of my writing, including links to many free stories, at www.aeess.com (recommended for readers 18+ only).

Hanukkah Romance: Spicy, Earthy, Sweet

Dig in to a delectable winter treat, as warm as a potato pancake on a frosty Chanukah night.

Caught up in the magic of the Festival of Lights, Gabriella wants everything to be perfect for her holiday with Jared. Jared has very specific tastes—and a slight obsession with teasing the individual flavors out of the aromas of fine wines. Even the kosher wine he chooses for the first night of Chanukah is subjected to his beloved wine aroma wheel.

But wine is not the only thing that can be tasted, analyzed, and savored. Gabriella and Jared discover new uses for Jared’s favorite toy as the Chanukah candles begin to burn down.

"Spicy, Earthy, Sweet," my brand-new short story, is coming Dec. 29th to Ravenous Romance. The site officially launches in December, but visit now for a free story download and a chance to win an iPod!

Congratulations to Becky Senn and Tracey McLeod, the winners of signed copies of The Erotica Anthology by Erin O’Riordan from Bitten By Book’s Haunted Bloggy Carnival!

UPDATE (January 2015): Find "Spicy, Earthy, Sweet" at my Etsy shop, Writer's Brain Has Wings.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208636827/spicy-earthy-sweet-romance-short-story-e?