Introductory Comments
Morsels is a collection of eros-themed short stories and micro-fiction. That does not mean all the stories contained within are works of erotica; only about half of what is in here would be defined as such, and only some of the more blatantly erotic stories are stand-alone. Two erotic short works in here are excerpts from my novel, Ancilla.
Eros is another word for love: passionate love, romantic love, desire.
Love is the subject of this anthology.
In “A Tale As Old As Time,” we get to see, for a moment anyway, a hint of the growing love Beauty has for her Beast, and vice versa. Here I intimately explore what it means to be human. Are we determined by our bodies, or by our souls? What makes a man a man? Do our bodies determine the natures of our souls, or are we souls who happen to inhabit bodies? (Spoiler: It’s the latter).
“A Rose By Any Other Name,” another spicy cupcake of a story, shows what happens when two women come together for a very extreme first date after months and months of negotiation in a long-distance relationship. It has my ex-girlfriend’s seal of approval.
“The Alpaca Yarn Incident” is a mildly spiced sex farce. When a medieval reenactor’s feast takes a turn for the “wurst,” the narrator and her lovely lady exit the scene to hold a revel of their own. Since Monty Python’s Flying Circus is involved, their two-person sewing circle becomes… something completely different. Bring out the comfy chair!
“One Of the Girls” shows what happens when an exotic dancer steals the name and sacred girdle of the Goddess of Love Herself.
The next two stories are concerned with love, as well, but they aren’t lighthearted, and while they’re erotic in nature, they’re not comfortable. These are the only two stories in this volume that come with content advisories, and they’re the equivalent of what in my youth used to be called “Very Special Episodes” in television sitcoms.
“Diving Into the Wreck” portrays what a formerly joyful BDSM relationship looks like when it has degenerated into abuse and misery – when the relationship is long over, but the two people in it can’t admit that to themselves or to each other.
“Anything For a Friend,” meanwhile, pairs BDSM with a love that is more philia than eros, and oh, by the way, the hero dies at the end of it. (That’s not a spoiler. The end of the story is right there at the top of the page when you get to it).
Onward.
“Parliament of Rooks” is a homage to Geoffrey Chaucer and, to a much lesser degree, to Neil Gaiman (who was not a controversial figure at the time I wrote the story). It’s a dream vision concerned with the origin of human love. If it doesn’t seem to provide a satisfactory explanation for why people love the way they do, well, do keep in mind that this just-so story-within-a-story is told by a bird. How well do birds really understand people?
I’ve also included two chapters from Ancilla. If they whet your appetite, you are welcome to sate yourself on the main course that is available from Amazon and other online booksellers in both print and electronic form.
Many thanks to R.A. Volt, who provided feedback on my short stories and who has been a staunch supporter of mine ever since we exchanged our manuscripts (she read Ancilla, I read The Whore – which, for the record, is excellent). May our discussions of founding an intelligent smut movement spark beauty and delight.
