Today I'm bringing you a short story guaranteed to give you sweet, yet naughty, dreams. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Spinning Gold by C. Margery Kempe, a m/m read that gives a modern-day twist to a classic fairytale, along with a conversation with Ms. Kempe about the classics that inspire her. You'll also get my impressions of this book and can learn even more about it by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour. Make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $15 Amazon GC too!
There are lots of great erotic classics that inspire me, from early practitioners like John Cleland and the Marquis de Sade, to more recent classic authors like Pauline Réage and Terry Southern. But the one writer who inspires me most is Anaïs Nin.
I grew up in the Midwest in a family where touchy issues were avoided at all costs and silence was the rule of the day. When I wanted to find out about something, I always turned to books—too embarrassed to admit to my friends just how ignorant I was about things like sex. Like most kids I knew, I did a lot of bluffing that I knew more than I did.
Delta of Venus was first. I can’t remember anymore if I read her diaries first—they’re so closely intertwined—but I do recall buying Delta because I was terrified that I would be stopped or carded or worse, that alarms would go off, blaring “she’s buying a book about sex!” But it was the local mall book chain, so the clerk just rang up the purchase without a second look (it probably helped that I was tall).
I devoured the book. It was so specific! It was one thing to read feminist handbooks about sexuality and quite another to read Nin’s passionate words about how it really felt.She also made me want to write about those feelings and to try to capture them in words, something I kept to myself—or a select audience—for many years.
I loved how she used writing to transform herself from a banker’s wife into an artist surrounded by like minds: writers, painters, dancers, filmmakers. Nin not only gave me the power to understand and explore my own sexuality, she also taught me the power of writing to transform. I had been raised to dream small, but her adventures helped me learn that I could expand my world if I were willing to dare to do so. I’m still learning that lesson, but remember her words:
“Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.”
Thank you, Anaïs.
EXCERPT:
Freawine sat looking at the mounds of straw all around him in the tiny room. Panic rose to his throat like a choking hand. What to do? Only two options came to mind—he could continue to curse his braggart father as he had done for the last quarter of an hour or so, or he could begin to think what his new life might be like without his head.
Rather short, he imagined.
Freawine found it a challenge to think clearly when his life was about to come to an abrupt end. The cold gray stones around him stood impassively silent, like the guards who lounged outside the door. No one was going to rescue him. Still, he found it pleasant to picture a handsome knight charging up the road to the castle, his valiant steed’s hooves clattering across the cobblestones of the courtyard, then rushing up the stairs to this little room at the top of the tower and sweeping Freawine away to safety. Followed by a very hot and sweaty session of delightful indulgence, of course.
He twisted one of his long locks and sighed again. If he were a real girl this would never have happened. His life had been nothing but secrets and lies—now the price had come due.
If only his father had not made that stupid boast in the tavern yard! If only the prince had not been passing by with his entourage of noble ladies and gentlemen, falcons on their wrists and laughter on their lips. If only the prince had not taken it into his head to make a grand offer--and an ominous threat.
Rather short, he imagined.
Freawine found it a challenge to think clearly when his life was about to come to an abrupt end. The cold gray stones around him stood impassively silent, like the guards who lounged outside the door. No one was going to rescue him. Still, he found it pleasant to picture a handsome knight charging up the road to the castle, his valiant steed’s hooves clattering across the cobblestones of the courtyard, then rushing up the stairs to this little room at the top of the tower and sweeping Freawine away to safety. Followed by a very hot and sweaty session of delightful indulgence, of course.
He twisted one of his long locks and sighed again. If he were a real girl this would never have happened. His life had been nothing but secrets and lies—now the price had come due.
If only his father had not made that stupid boast in the tavern yard! If only the prince had not been passing by with his entourage of noble ladies and gentlemen, falcons on their wrists and laughter on their lips. If only the prince had not taken it into his head to make a grand offer--and an ominous threat.
If wishes were horses, his mother would have said, then we would all ride with the nobles to the fair.
At the moment, Freawine preferred to imagine that wishes might be doves that could carry him far from this tower room and his troubles.
At the moment, Freawine preferred to imagine that wishes might be doves that could carry him far from this tower room and his troubles.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | AMAZON (UK) | SMASHWORDS | iTUNES | KOBO | BN | TIRGEARR PUBLISHING
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
This is quick read that puts a gender-bending spin on the classic Rumpelstiltskin tale. It ultimately makes for an entertaining read with the added twists of the paranormal and a bit of sensual m/m loving.
With war taking all the young men of their village, a young mother has her son Freawine dress and act as a female to keep him safe. Becoming Frea may keep him safe but it also makes him lonely as he's alienated by everyone in the village for being strange. When his mother dies it's just him and his drunken father with makes him even more alone as his father ignores him for the most part. One drunken and boastful night though has his father putting his life on the line after promising their Prince that Frea can spin hay into gold. It's a scary time as he has to rely on help from a magical dwarf to stay alive. Add in a prince who has secrets of his own and it all heads towards a collision course on their wedding night where Freawine finally ends his loneliness and everyone's secrets are revealed.
For its short word count we get to know Freawine fairly well. He may dress and act like a girl but his feelings and reactions are all man. He's sometimes ashamed of his body's reactions but in the quiet of night he revels in it. The Prince knows about loneliness too and not being able to be himself which makes their pairing believable and points towards a satisfying HEA. Though we don't get to dig too deeply into the Prince's psyche we do know that he'll accept Freawine wholeheartedly and will have him living like a queen with steamy encounters to count on. Those looking for a fun twist on a classic will find themselves caught up in the sensual web of magic this story engenders!
My rating for this is a B.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
C. Margery Kempe is a writer of erotic romance distinguished by its humour, intelligence and fearless sensual pleasures. Her stories range from contemporary thrillers to medieval era fairy tales. An English professor by day, she also writes on medieval literature, film, creative writing and New Media, as well as humor, drama, mainstream and genre fiction under her real name, noir as Graham Wynd and non-explicit romance as Kit Marlowe. She’s a weekly blogger at Lady Smut on Fridays. WEBSITE: http://www.cmkempe.com
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Love Nin and LOVE that cover. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteKeep dreaming big.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have dreams, you got nightmares ;-)
DeleteInteresting excerpt. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDelete