While I write erotic romance, I’m a pure English geek at heart. With a
master’s degree in English, and one in journalism, when I saw Salome Wilde’s
call for submissions for a queer, erotic Shakespeare anthology … Well, I couldn’t
control myself.
My first movie date with hubby was “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” You know,
the one with Calista Flockhart and Kevin Kline. Since then, I’ve seen it on
stage, in the children’s theater and at a Long Beach outdoor viewing. Oh, and I’ve
taught Shakespeare in college.
Of course, I had to take on my favorite. This time, that interloper Puck
doesn’t discriminate between the sexes. Here’s a teaser into “All Pucked Up: A
Midsummer Night’s Romp.”
A mist hangs over the treetops
of a lush forest, clinging to the gnarled trunks and slipping between the
outstretched branches. Golden dust sparkles in the dimming light, bringing a
new type of illumination as the day ends and the creatures of the night awake. Bright,
dancing figures pirouette from limb to limb, flashing lavender, canary yellow,
and dazzling turquoise. The unknowing eye may think they are tricks of the
light. A blink, and everything settles back to what it should be. But if one keeps
one’s eyes open, it’s amazing what can be seen in the land of dreams.
Voices crash through the
silence. Arguing with passion, two figures step into sight: Lysander, a slender
man, all in white, and Hermia, a petite woman, her blonde hair disheveled.
“I’m tired. I can’t go on
any further.” She drops her basket onto the soft grass, and plants herself on a
nearby stump. “You’re a slave driver, and I tell you I’m done.”
“Hermia, please. We must
keep going if we’re going to make it. If we stop for too long, your father is
bound to send the Duke’s men after us.”
“Then let him, for being
caught may be better than going on. I’m not cut out for such excursions.” Her
bosom heaves with each breath, and on the last word, she throws her arm over
her forehead and covers her eyes. After a moment of silence, she peeks to
ensure Lysander’s attention.
“Fair Hermia, let me lay
out this soft blanket for you to rest your weary body. Your comfort means the
world to me.”
A flutter of periwinkle
blankets the sky as the material cascades downward. Above, in the treetops,
curious eyes watch. The woman reclines, moaning and whimpering as she tries to
find a comfortable resting position. After catching the hint, Lysander removes
his tunic, exposing an alabaster belly and hairless chest, and rolls it into a
makeshift pillow.
“Here, my lady, lay your
head upon my clothing.”
With a blissful sigh, she
shuts her eyes, and Lysander lies next to her. From this vantage point, he can
see down her shirt, smallish breasts exposed for his viewing pleasure. His
pantaloons rise as thoughts of a lady inhabit his mind, though not the one
beside him.
Close by in the forest roam
two others: Helena, with determined, dark eyes, stumbles in pursuit of Demetrius.
“Hermia, where are you? Her-mi-a?”
the lad calls out.
Want more? I promise, the anthology will titillate.
Shakespearotica: Queering the Bard
Salome Wilde's
first edited collection of erotica and erotic romance offers 10 titillating
tales spanning the LGBTQ spectrum based on some of Shakespeare's most
well-known plays and most memorable characters. Authors, including seasoned
pros and fresh faces, take readers on lustful adventures in Shakespeare's era,
our own, and far beyond. Whether through comedy or drama, by queering a
favorite play or depicting wicked backstage antics in contemporary productions,
there's something for every Bard-loving reader, and even those new to his
intricate, intimate delights.
Here’s the
lineup:
"By Any Other Name" by Anna Black
"The Buttboy of Nicomedes: A Masque in Eight Scenes"
by Wes Hartley
"For Love or Duty" by Penelope Addams
"The Ills We Do" by Salome Wilde
"All Pucked Up: A Midsummer Night’s Romp" by Louisa
Bacio
"A Well-Placed Pinch" by Jean Roberta
"Much Ado About a Kiss" by Caitlin Ricci
"A Tight to Remember" by Rob Rosen
"Smoke Signals" by Laila Black
"As We Like It: A Romance" by Tilly Hunter
Available Nov. 8 via Storm
Moon Press and other eRetailers.
Louisa Bacio
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