Torqued Tales
a fairy tale anthology edited by S.A. Clements
Torquere Press
Twisted. That’s what Torqued Tales is all about. Taking a familiar
fairy tale and turning it a few degrees off center, making it something
new. And sexy.
The authors of Torqued Tales have taken
some of our old favorites, such as Sleeping Beauty, the Little Red
Riding Hood, and Pinocchio, and given them a romantic, sensual, and
homoerotic slant.
Sean Michael, BA Tortuga, Julia
Talbot; all of your favorite authors are here, with stories that are as
irreverent as they are faithful to tales we all know and love.
CB
Potts has given the Emperor’s New Clothes a hilarious retelling, where
two tailors of magical cloth give every man in sight a whole new lease
on clothing. Kara Larson’s The Nature of the Beast takes on Beauty and
the Beast, Kiwi style. And Kiernan Kelly looks at Puss in Boots in a
whole new light in The Master Cat.
By turns rib shaking
funny and steamy hot, these fairy tales are not the morality plays we
remember from our childhood. This lighthearted fantasy anthology will
keep you turning the page, eager to get your Grimm on and see what the
best Torquere authors can do with a little tradition, a lot of
imagination, and healthy dose of heat.
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Excerpt from "Hans und Georg":
The sweet smell of chocolate filled Georg with every deep breath he
took. The bell above the shop door rang as a woman entered, pushing a
stroller. Georg looked up and smiled as Hans' laughter drifted through
the room. Hans stooped down and grinned at the little girl in her
stroller. With a nod from her mother, Hans handed the girl a chocolate
lollipop in the shape of a teddy bear. The girl squealed and giggled as
she snatched the candy from Hans' hand, giving him a huge, chocolaty
smile.
A few moments later, Hans stood and pulled a box from under the
counter. He rang up the mother's order and waved at the little girl as
they left. Georg just shook his head and went to the counter. After
giving the front door a quick glance, he bent over the counter top,
meeting his lover in a soft, ever-sweet kiss.
"Mmm, hi there."
Hans pulled back and smiled. "Hi yourself. What time is it?"
Georg looked at his watch. "Five ‘til six."
"Thank God,” Hans sighed. “Close enough to closing
time.” He typed a few things into the register, hit 'no sale',
and pulled out the till. “Lock the door and turn off the
sign?”
"Sure.” Georg went to the front door and made a quick glance for
lingering customers. Spotting no one, he locked the door, then reached
over and flipped a switch, turning off the 'Open' sign. Snagging a
piece of dark chocolate bark on the way, he headed back to the counter
and leaned on it, sucking on the candy as he waited while Hans counted
out the money.
As he watched his lover, Georg thought back to the first time he'd
stepped foot in the shop. Back then, Hans' grandfather-August
Goebel-owned the candy shop, which had been in the Goebel family for
ages. Hans' father bypassed the shop ownership, leaving Hans to run the
place when August passed away. Georg had come in one autumn day, eleven
years ago, looking for something for his niece. Never did he expect to
find the most wonderful man in the world behind the counter.
"Did fairly good today,” Hans said without looking up. “Kinda slow, but not bad.”
Hans gathered up the bills and slipped them into a dark brown bank bag.
The coins were left in the register with a few bills, all amounting to
twenty-five dollars. Georg remembered Hans telling him that when he'd
had to run the register once. After closing the register drawer, Hans
gathered up the receipts in another bag—this one clear
plastic—and then got his coat from under the counter.
"Ready?”
Georg grinned and nodded. Reaching out with the hand holding the dark
chocolate bark, he painted Hans’ lips. Then he leaned forward to
lick them clean, finally pressing in for a chocolate-laden kiss.