A Hanukkah Treat For Gentiles and Jews Alike

It's that time of year again! 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 Ravenous Romance

Help out a starving artist for only $1.99! It's a beautiful story (but only for readers 18+)!

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.

"The Boy," New Fiction

"The Boy" is a short fiction piece I wrote, literally, in my sleep. I was dreaming this right before I woke up this morning, in almost these exact words, as nearly as I can remember. Parts of it recall George Gordon, Lord Byron, but it isn't strictly historical fiction. It's only a dream.

"What am I? A poet, some would tell you. A monster, others would say. They call me “monster” because they have never known one like me. What they call badness I merely call enjoying the full range of pleasures bestowed on me by my Creatrix.

"I traveled with a man-servant I was in the habit of calling The Boy, because he had been in my service since, when he was eleven, his aristocrat mother turned him out of the house, deciding he should make his own way in the world. That was nearly a decade ago, and he was certainly a man now, with a beard and a physique any Classical sculptor would have killed to reproduce in stone. Not that I thought of The Boy like that…until the occurrence at Lillian’s.

"Lillian is my grandmother’s first-born grandchild, my cousin, and blessed with all of the privileges of a first-born. She possesses a superior intellect and beauty beyond what any painter has ever captured in oils. She was my friend and confessor, naturally my lover, and occasionally my drinking partner.

"We had just finished one such drinking binge and were lounging carelessly in the large, luxurious tub of one of her bathing rooms..."

To read the rest, you will have to go to Gather.com, BUT because it is flagged for adult language you will not be able to read it unless you sign in to Gather and turn off your filters.

National Reading Day and other notes

Happy Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)! Speaking of seeing dead people, my vampire chef Oliver is back, along with his werewolf companions Natalie and Matthew. Torquere Press accepted "Oliver's Good Night Kiss." It will be coming soon as a Single Shot.

Please check out this new blog, publishing my story about my husband's Aunt Phil: http://newssip.com

Night Owl Reviews had nice things to say about "In the Lair of the Monster" in Circlet Press's Like a God's Kiss anthology. Read the review here.

National Reading Day, republished from an e-mail I received from Cheryl Pillsbury/AG Press:

"Shadow Play Entertainment, Conversations Book Club, The Write Stuff Literacy Campaign and their literary partners are excited to announce a historic event geared towards sharing the gift of reading and books across the United States under a show of united support in each state. On Saturday, November 21, 2009 between the hours of 10-6p.m., The Write Stuff founder and host Cyrus A. Webb is working with others in scheduling Reading Parties (see http://thewritestufftv.webs.com/twsreadingparties.htm) throughout the country geared towards 1) speaking in one voice in support of encouraging reading, 2) supporting local authors and their books and 3) providing a positive outlet that is sometimes overlooked with all the chaos going on in the world around us.

"Each Reading Party will be designed for that particular area by that particular area. Webb and his supporters will only act as a means to promote the event and help strategize where their is a need for assistance. During the time frame selected by each Reading Party, there will be booksignings, book discussions or whatever seems appropriate to that host. Those participating will be listed online at www.thewritestufftv.com identified by their state along with what type of event they are hosting as well as the time of their event. All Reading Parties are free to the public.

"If you are in a position to do so, The Write Stuff Literacy Campaign is asking that you bring a new or used book to the event you attend. Book donations will benefit CityKids Foundation, Common Ground Foundation, Everybody Wins, Reading Tree, Adele's Literacy Library and NEA's "Read Across America".

"Have questions about this National Day of Reading? Are you an author, book lover, book club or entertainer that would like to coordinate an event in connection with our historic literary event? Contact Cyrus A. Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616.

"http://thewritestufftv.webs.com/"

More good news for editors and small presses here (free publicity!)

Look for Midsummer Night from eXcessica Publishing on December 14!

Win Your Wish List!

(This is an e-mail I reposted with permission.)

AllRomance eBooks turns 3 in November and we'll celebrate by making your wishes come true!

Every day in November we will choose a winner at random from that day's purchasers and buy them the books they have on their wish list. *

To get a head start simply fill your account wish list with books you'd like to read (be sure to log in first) and then every day that you make a purchase during the month of November, you'll be eligible to win. (Hint: Start with BELTANE by Erin O'Riordan!) Go to www.allromanceebooks.com.

So what are you waiting for? Head to your All Romance/OmniLit account and start making out your wish list. We want to make your wishes come true!

*up to $100.00 per customer

Inspiring, Romantic Poetry Takes Flight From Debut Author

Cause and Effect Poetry by Chessly Nesci (2009, AG Press, $10.95) is a diverse collection of poems and poetic short story/essay/ruminations. They range from recession-era ("Economy," "Dream House") to romantic ("Dream," "Crush") to inspiring ("Strength") to fairy-tale-like ("The Hidden One"). Along the way, Chessly meditates on such topics as the tragic loss of her father, an emotionally abusive past relationship, and personal insecurity. She deals with these weighty topics with a hopeful, yet realistic, determination. Which is not to say she can't be lighthearted: see, for example, her loving ode to coffee:

"...I love the smell of coffee beans
And how they sound
Grinding in a coffee machine
I am an addict
Maybe I need therapy
Don’t think I want to stop
It makes by body feel warm
Soothes the senses
Makes me feel relaxed at first
Then mighty accomplished after a cup
Just curious if anyone else is addicted?
Loves it better than a lover
Has to have it first thing..."

The book concludes with eleven short-short stories, the best of which are "Flying," "Summer Love" and "Blind Date." These three in particular feature intriguing, yet realistic, female characters in romantic scenarios. (You can't blame me for liking them best; I'm a hopeless romantic myself!) I look forward to more from this talented poet...and won't have to wait very long. According to AG Press editor and publisher Cheryl Pillsbury, Chessly has two more books of poetry and short stories in the works!

You can find Chessly's book online at the AG Press bookstore: http://agpressma.books.officelive.com/ChesslyNesci.aspx.

BTW. if I seem like I'm bragging about this book, it's only because I'm the editor.

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!