Win Free Books!

On 5/1/15 Crazy Duck press is releasing the new edition of My Fearful Symmetry. Friday is launch day. The first 50 people to RSVP will receive a FREE EBOOK. We will also be giving away  five paperback copies.

What's Up with Denise?

Insane Author Person

Okay, I promised not to drop off the face of the Earth, but right after that I received edits for the Crazy Duck Press edition of My Fearful Symmetry. After I finished those, I had to do some re-writes on Cara Mia, which I should be done with tonight.

Happy Dance!

All that being said, I'm looking forward to a July release of My Fearful Symmetry from Crazy Duck Press. I hope to have copies of this new edition at Confluence in Pittsburgh.

In addition to all these new editions of the Immortyl Revolution books, I've been doing research for a fantasy novel set in an 18th century-esque, South Seas culture.  A lot of this has been on exotic diseases and archaic medical practices. A serious yuck factor, but it's interesting stuff. Yes, I'm one of those crazy people who read the CDC and NIH sites for fun. 

For the urban fantasy novel I finished last summer, it was bugs that had me obsessed. Giant centipedes to be exact. Have you ever seen a centipede fight? If you haven't, look at this video on YouTube. 

Seriously, you'll never sleep tight again.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Greetings and Happy New Year from Cedric and me!  

I took a rather long hiatus from blogging to enjoy the Holidays with the family.  We laughed a lot and ate too much, but it was a blast!  Yes, I'm writing this from my Christmas present from my husband and son, a brand-spanking-new notebook computer.  (Cedric says he's supplying the spanking part.)  No more banging on my ancient desktop.  (Cedric will miss the banging.)  The danger for me now is fooling around too much on social media instead of writing.  (Cedric favors more writing about fooling around.)

Cedric MacKinnon

The focus of this blog will change somewhat in the coming year.  I won't be hosting blog tours anymore, although I'll occasionally have another author as a guest blogger.  Cedric will still be conducting sexy interviews, but will soon be getting his own blog.  My posts will concentrate on mythology and folklore topics or personal observations and humor.

That being said, when my good friend, A. J. Scudiere, asked me to take part in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, I thought it would be a good time to present the new format and introduce myself (and my naughty Scottish vampire lad Cedric) to some new readers.  

THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP

There are the books everyone has heard about: Twilight, Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Gray. But what about all those books written by people you've never heard of? Some of them are treasures, just waiting to be found, and that’s what this blog hop is all about: the books you might not have heard about, but that you might end up loving.

This blog hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and tags other authors who link back to their website the next week and tags new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the next big thing.

The immensely talented A.J. Scudiere tagged me.  Her recent novel Phoenix  (AND novel #3 God’s Eye) Just got top honors at the USA Book Review Awards for 2012. (2 out of 6 awards given in Suspense.) You can find out more about A.J. and the Intelligent Suspense novels she writes at www.AJScudiere.com and follow the snarky Smart Chickens blog at www.SmartChickens.com or search ‘Smart Chickens’ on iTunes for the podcast.

A big thanks to A.J. for inviting me to the hop!
  
For those of you visiting for the first time, welcome!  I'm the author of the Immortyl Revolution, a series of four Urban Fantasy novels and one collection of three short tales.  The novels are published by L&L Dreamspell.  My latest release is Servant of the Goddess.

This blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:

1: What is the working title of your book?  

Denise: Prophetess.

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

Denise: I originally had an idea for a mystery story set in a rural town where I once lived, but decided to fictionalize the town and add fantasy elements.

3: What genre does your book fall under? 

Denise: Urban Fantasy/Thriller.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  

Denise:  Oh maybe Charlize Theron as the prophetess heroine, Marena, and Paul Bettany as Lothian, the half-elf demon hunter. For Gabe, Marena’s much-younger boyfriend, who is possessed by an angelic being, someone pretty and intense, maybe Ezra Miller.  

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? 

Denise:  A young woman, haunted by visions of an impending apocalypse, finds the corpse of a teen-aged boy and sets out on a quest to find and slay the demon responsible for his murder.

6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Denise: I’ll be seeking representation once it’s completed.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 

Denise:  This was a Nanorimo project from 2010, so one month.  I put it aside to finish my commitment to my Immortyl Revolution series.  

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  

Denise: I’d say it’s similar to books by Kim Harrison in that there's a central mystery, magic and a variety of supernatural creatures.

9: Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Denise:  I looked at images of male angels, sculptures, painting etc..  

It struck me that they are kind of bad ass and cool.  Think of Michael, he's a warrior who battles his fallen brethren   I wondered a lot about how a war between angels and demons would be fought.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? 

Denise:  The demon antagonist is inspired by a creature out of Japanese legend.  I wanted a truly horrific monster in this story.  One day, a house centipede dropped from the ceiling and landed on my husband.  Now, I’m a tomboy at heart, the kind of gal who caught toads and snakes as a child, but centipedes just give me the willies.  It’s all those legs.  Well, I did some research to find out if there was a folkloric centipede demon and learned of the Japanese Omukade.  I also researched real centipedes to give my monster some authenticity, but I do give mine qualities that are definitely supernatural.  My Omukade is able to incubate within a human host and act through her until she gathers enough power to manifest, adding to the creep factor

Here are two more authors who will be joining the hop. I hope you’ll visit their blogs next week and learn more about their books. Maybe one of them will become your new favorite author!

1. Cherie Noel writes fun, steamy love stories, adventure and sci fi with a m/m focus.  If men loving men is your cup of tea, check out her sci fi adventure Tian's Hero the First Book of the Akanti series and her other work at http://talesfromthewritingcave.blogspot.com

Read Cedric's interview of the main players Tian's Hero.

2. Anne Marie Lutz's first fantasy novel, Color Mage, just came out this past summer from Loconeal Press.  She's currently at work on the sequel, Sword of Jashan,  http://annemariesblog.wordpress.com

Sexy Cedric: Amy Mah Vampire on Waking Up Naked in a Strange Bed with a Hangover and No Memory of How You Got There

Welcome, my darlings, to another Sexy Saturday with Cedric!  Halloween is coming and I have a treat for you.  (No, not that, I'm far too expensive.) Today, my guest is the always delicious Amy Mah.  She writes about a problem that your host has dealt with on countless occasions:  What to do when you wake up naked in a strange bed with no idea how you got there? 

Waking up Naked in a strange bed with a Hangover and no memory of how you got there.

Bed and sleeping with people is always a problem and as I always say Sleeping with another girl does not always mean you are a lesbian sometimes it just means the central heating needs fixing.

So back to waking up naked in strange bed with a hangover and no memory of how you got there, every drinking girl's nightmare, along with the worry of where you left your clothes.

So you slowly open your eyes and painfully look around a strange room which from the décor shouts rather too loudly of cheap motel …….and the way your head feel it says it far too laud even if it whispered it.

A cheap nylon sheet is covering you …….er ………..and that is all you have covering you ………. A fur coat would have been nice …….shut up …….you don’t mind who I kill and eat but you object to me liking fur ….huh………….you humans are so odd if I said a human corpse covering you would not have cared !!!

Is it all that is covering you …er…yes you check twice and a single piece of coloured cord around ones wrist does not count! Supporting the local cat’s home is very charitable but does not count as clothing.

So what happens next?

1. A man leaves some money on the bed side table as he puts on his trousers and leaves …………

Action: ……….you scream ……………. What just $20 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. You turn to one side and see a naked man and two naked female fashion models in bed with you

Action: Roll over and go back to sleep you are ether in some guys dream or if real with the fashion models in bed with you than you know your honour is quite safe.

3. There is Eric the vampire from True Blood next to you in bed.

Action: ………….. Pounce on him ….he is not going to get away again!

4. You notice the room is empty apart from a pile of female clothes which are not yours.

Action :………. ….You know that no matter how short the skirt is you will go without underwear today as there is just no way you are ever going to put on another persons used underwear!

5. You look down and see you are now a guy You have changed sex during the night !!!! And then you hear a female voice near by asked how was it for you and shall we do it again?

Action:……………. Hope whatever the new extra bits you have know what they are going to do with out you having to order an owner’s manual from Amazon, but then as you stare at what is between your legs and now you more fear that the bigger problem will be trying to fit back into the micro dress you had on last night

6. You look down and you are still female but you hear a female voice near by asked how was it for you and shall we do it again.

Action: ……………. Telling her you have a headache only works on guys so you look on the bright side no matter what went on its now too late and turn to her thinking at least you won’t get pregnant.

7. You look down at your hand and discover a gold band on your wedding finger and snoring coming from someone near you in bed.

Action………………. Panic ! all you can remember are day glow cocktails with strange names like oblivion and something so pretty that it could not be alcoholic………. You can only remember talking to two people last night 1. a long distant truck driver who got his tattoos while in jail and 2. the bartender you are really praying it is the bartender next to you and then you remember the bartender was female and remembering the tattoos still pray it is the bartender!

8. You look around the empty room and remember that you booked yourself in last night just after being sick over the guy you fancied and you did not even remember eating peas. But he refused to take you home so you crashed here.

Action:……………….You pray to all the gods you know thanking them for the pounding head and the feeling of still wanting to be sick as it could have been far worse!

Amy Mah Vampire

ISBN- 9781874192626

Book Description

Today's world is difficult for everyone, especially teenagers. They face the stresses of school, deciding whom to date, and the biggie of sex, just to name a few. Imagine all of those things ten times worse, and you might get an idea of what it's like being a living, breathing teenage vampire. At last, the world can read about the life of a girl with good teeth, her problems with strong sunlight that gave her spots, and the sunblock that made her hair go yucky and produced more spots. Yes, sunlight was dangerous, as she could be the first teenager in history to die from terminal acne! In her everyday life, older vampires expected her to walk about at night in the traditional female uniform, a see-through, 18th-century nightdress, without undies! Well, this female vampire knew why the cold winds blowing along the corridors were called, "male winds," so she wore her see-through nightdress over jeans and a very thick jumper. To be sure that people would still know she was a vampire, the jumper had a very large, pink bat on it. And as to guys, well, it was normal for a girl to dream about guys; she just wished the dreams could have involved chocolates and holding hands, not leaping out at someone, ripping off his shirt, and demanding to know what blood type he was (at least not on the first date).

About the Author

The Author Amelia Mah is a 20 something snarky, sarcastic and cynical author who has a very popular blog of how she sees the world from the point of view of a modern teenage vampire. Following the success of her first book "FANGS RULE A girls guide to being a vampire" she had now expanded the idea of life as a teenage vampire into a full novel Amelia has given her avatar her own name so you can see the world first hand from a very bored teenage vampire that has been forced to remain a teenager for far too long She may have very good teeth and the ability to hang from ceilings but life is far from easy.

Link to YouTube book trailer video

Amy's Website

A big thanks to Amy for dropping by today and offering advice on a tricky topic.  

Contest:  Leave a comment for Amy and I will give one lucky winner an e-copy of Annals of the Immortyls!  Contest ends 10/31/12 at 11 p.m. EST.  Please leave a contact email, where Sexy Cedric can contact you!

Don't forget to check out the other Halloween goodies the authoress' guests are offering this month!  B.K. Walker has a Halloween Gift Basket!

Sexy Cedric: History of Japanese Courtesans/Final Day to Enter Drawing



Host Cedric Mackinnon's Portrait by Arlie Adams












I hope my darlings are having a Sexy Saturday!  If not, contact me and we'll talk. 
Today, I continue my discussion of courtesans.  If you haven't yet entered to win my story, My Fearful Symmetry, in ebook, please leave me a saucy comment at the end of the post. 

Drawing ends 3/31/12 at 11:59 PM EST.  Winner to be chosen by random drawing from all commenters at this blog throughout March 2012. Please leave an email where you may be contacted. Your choice of format Kindle, Nook or PDF.

Courtesans: Part Two

Japanese Courtesans

Back in February, when I took on this project for the authoress, I realized that my subject is more extensive than I’d anticipated, so I’ve decided to discuss different aspects of the courtesan’s art in their respective countries. Today, I’ll discuss the history of courtesans in Japan.

Oiran, Japanese courtesans, were classified as a type of “woman of pleasure”, but they were distinguished from common prostitutes by the virtue of also being entertainers. The earliest Oiran were actresses who performed in a form of theatre that became the basis of Kabuki. The Oiran’s art arose in the Edo period (1600-1800). They were prized for their beauty, character, education and artistic talent. They were educated in the arts of flower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremony, as well as being skilled in conversation. To be pretty wasn’t enough, an Oiran must also be witty and able to write with eloquence. Oiran costumes were elaborate and ornate, with many layers of sumptuous fabrics. They practiced traditional courtly entertainments that were far removed from the tastes of common folk. Formal rituals surrounded the employment of an Oiran. They were never engaged casually, but offered formal invitations from those that wished to enjoy their services. Only then would an Oiran leave her pleasure district with her retinue of servants and process to the waiting client.  The illustration below depicts an Oiran.

*public domain image due to expired copyright

However, another sort of courtesan eventually eclipsed the Oiran. As the Oiran’s art become more and more elitist, the more accessible geisha began to increase in popularity.  The picture below shows a geisha in her lover's room.




*public domain image of an artwork for which no
known copyright exists.


The geisha’s art arose from the custom of hiring dancing girls known as odoriko. These were generally teenagers that performed in the home of high-ranking samurai. The first woman recorded to have taken the name of geisha was a prostitute from Fukagawa in 1750. Kikuya was a talented singer and shaminsen player who quickly rose to celebrated status, paving the way for the rise of the geisha.

The pleasure districts of Japan were severely regulated, and it was outlawed for the geisha to sell sex, as not to compete with the Oiran. The geisha became highly prized as entertainers and erudite companions. When the Oiran finally fell from fashion, the geisha took on the more intimate arts of the courtesan. However, she had the option of deciding whether to become sexually intimate with her clients or not. Still, not all geisha chose the life itself. There were certainly girls sold in indentured servitude to geisha houses prior to the 20th century. Accounts tell of high prices bid for a girl’s virginity.

In the WWII era, the name geisha became a somewhat tarnished term because common prostitutes often used it. Some years after the war, the art was revived, and the geisha returned to her traditional role of skilled artist and entertainer. She still enjoys that status today.

What about male courtesans in Japan? Oddly enough, the first geisha were men, who entertained clients waiting to see the celebrated Oiran--entertained in the sense of music and comedy, not sexually. In 17th century Japan homosexuality was not necessarily taboo, particularly among the priestly classes and the samurai. The samurai, like Greek warriors of the ancient world, prized male relationships and an older man would often take on a younger male companion in order to impart the virtues of samurai manhood. These lovers would often bear cuts on their bodies symbolizing their masculinity and the devotion to their bond. But these youthful love objects could not properly be called courtesans.

However, in the Kabuki theatre, young men and adolescent boys, who played the roles of women, functioned as courtesans offstage.  Literature of the period shows many examples of love letters and poems written by men to other men, many of these were composed or inspired by said stage performers. Kabuki theater started in Japan in 1603 and featured racy storylines and dances.  At first women performed female roles in Kabuki, but because they also practiced prostitution offstage, they were eventually banned and replaced by beautiful adolescent males.  As these young men, or Onnagata, became celebrated for their offstage sexual antics, they were also forbidden and adult men took over the female roles.  Below you can see a depiction of an Onnagata combing the hair of another actor.



*image in the public domain due to expired copyright

 Next week, I'll be back with more sexy tidbits and details about a new drawing for my latest adventure, Servant of the Goddess.  Don't forget to leave a comment so you can be entered in this month's drawing for My Fearful Symmetry! 

Love and Dark Kisses,

Your naughty boy, Cedric MacKinnon

You can win this!

Here is a little bit about my tale:
Only the most gifted and beautiful Immortyls are chosen to serve Mother Kali as adepts of the ancient arts...
For nineteen-year-old Cedric MacKinnon, the promise of eternal youth and celebrity sounds like a dream come true. It becomes a nightmare when a master vampire plucks the boy from the London streets and spirits him away to India. In the fabled ashram of the adepts of the ancient arts, Cedric undergoes the grueling process of training as a temple dancer and courtesan. With the threat of revolution hanging over court, the chief elder employs the boy he names Shardul in dangerous games of seduction and intrigue.



Cedric Gives Relationship Advice. Book Giveaway.

Today is the big day!  I hope all of you are having a brilliant Valentine's Day.  Your personal love god, Cedric MacKinnon, is here to answer your most fevered prayers.  Today I'll be sharing a few saucy tidbits, and if you leave me a comment with your Top Ten Most Shag-able Characters of Sci fi and Fantasy at the end of this post, you can enter to win a free ecopy of my story, My Fearful Symmetry.  Kindle, Nook or your choice of format offered on All Romance.

So to set things rolling, I want share a few letters from readers.

Dear Mr. MacKinnon,


I was pleased to discover that you are an adept of the ancient arts since I’m looking for some advice this Valentine’s Day. This is the first Valentine’s Day I’ll be celebrating with my wife, Sarah, with whom I have been in love for over three hundred years. It’s a long story.

Sarah and I are very much in love, and we have traveled quite a journey to find our way back to each other after oh so very long. My wife likes to joke and say she and I are a pair. A pair of what, I ask. Just a pair, she says.

“Like a pair of socks?” I say.
“Yes,” she says. “We’re a pair of socks. We go everywhere together and spend our nights knotted up.”

As the nocturnal type, I can only see my beloved at night, but that works quite well for us. Our romantic life is great—or whatever word expresses better than great (I haven’t a thesaurus handy)—but I would like to make this Valentine’s Day a special one and I’m open to any tips (for the bedroom or otherwise) that might help me make this a night to remember for my beautiful wife. She has suffered in the past, and now she deserves all the best life can give her.

I appreciate your time and look forward to your response.

Yours Most Sincerely,

 James J. Wentworth, Ph.D.

Professor of English Literature

Salem State University

My response: 
Dear Dr.Wentworth,

It sounds like you both are the monagamous type, so I won't suggest employing the service of an Immortyl courtesan to spice things up.  I'm always up for a threesome.  My advice is to provide all those things your beloved Sarah loves best.  Buy her a really knockout gift, something she's always wanted.  Take her to a luxury hotel and pamper her with a spa treament.  Have an intimate dinner in your room and play some music that has special signifigance to both of you.  Slow dance with her.  Tell her all of the reasons that have made you stay by her side for 300 years.  When you retire to the bedroom, make sure its been stocked with champagne and an assortment of toys and yummy massage oils.  Do as I do with my lovers.  Worship her with your body--become her slave for one night.  Stimulate all of those places that will set her humming.  Cater to her every need and you'll be surprised how she'll reciprocate.  If that doesn't work, you know where to find me.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Your Bad, Bad Boy,

Cedric MacKinnon

You can learn more about James and his lovely wife at these links:
Her dear and Loving Husband on Amazon
Her Dear and Loving Husband on B&N
Author Meredith Allard's website
Meredith Allard on Twitter







Another reader writes:

Dear Cedric,
I've been with my boyfriend for sixth months, and while we click despite some very obvious differences, there is one issue we just can't work out on our own. We're a pretty unconventional couple. He's a vampire, and I'm not. In fact, I'm what most people would call a vampire hunter. (I dislike the term hunter. I don't actually hunt them. I just slay them if they try to kill me and my friends, y'know?)
 The problem we're having involves my stakes. As in the sharp, pointy kind. I carry them with me at all times, and my boyfriend takes personal offense to that. He thinks I don't trust him. I've explained a million billion times they're not for him, but he keeps trying to get me to leave them at home when we go out at night.

Am I being insensitive? Should I really not trust him because he is urging me to be defenseless when I leave the house?

Thanks,
 L, Confused in Florida

My response:

Dear L,

I can see why the boyfriend might be a wee bit upset, but since I also slay naughty vampires, I know how important it is to keep your weapon of choice close at hand.  I use a katana myself.  It might help to remind him that he's a vampire and always armed and dangerous, and your stake simply levels the playing field.  Your stake is like his fangs and vampire powers.  He should be flattered that you don't think him a sparkly, wussy-ass vamp.  Tell him to grow up and get over it.  If all else fails, hire the services of a male vampire courtesan and have a blissful threesome. 

Your Hot and Bothered Boy,

Cedric MacKinnon

L's alter-ego Jazz Sexton is an active blogger and offers editing services:
http://wordsmadefresh.com/
http://www.jazzsexton.com/
.

Cedric's Top Ten Most Shag-able

Fantasy and Sci Fi Characters of Film and TV

10. Spike- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
A bad vampire boy after my own heart. 

9.  Han Solo- Star Wars
Anyone who can get into Princes Leia's gold bikini pants has got to be special.

8. Catwoman- Batman
Every blessed incarnation with favorite nods to Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt. Grrrr...

7. Capt. Malcolm Reynolds- Firefly
I like his sense of justice--rob from the rich and nefarious and take your percentage off the top.

6. Mr. Sulu- Star Trek
Who can forget the bare-torso swordfight? 

5.  Princess Leia- Star Wars
The gold bikini.  Need I say more?

4. Arwen- Lord of the Rings
I hear elves have special powers.

3. Aragorn- Lord of the Rings
I'm still waiting for the King to come.

2. River Song- Dr. Who
I just love a bad girl.

1. Capt. Jack Harkness- Torchwood
The coat.  The man inside.  Immortal and bisexual.  The perfect combination in my book. 

Now, I'd like to share a little excerpt from my newest adventure Servant of the Goddess. Keep in mind this is told from Mia's POV.

Sudden shouts battled against the sound of the wind. I peered down the block. Teen-formed Immortyls, sewer rats, closed a circle around a tall male, who held his hands high above his head. From the direction of the wind, I couldn’t yet ascertain this stranger as mortal or Immortyl. Best to investigate. I ran toward the disturbance, wrapping my fingers around the Glock strapped to my hip.



A shrill whistle split the air. Two of the sewer rats lunged for the stranger. He crouched and pirouetted on one leg, letting loose a rapid succession of kicks that knocked his attackers sprawling onto the sidewalk. A rat named Tommy growled and launched himself at the stranger. To my amazement, the stranger leapt high into the air and hovered there for a moment like a falcon before lashing out with both feet. Tommy’s head snapped backward, and he flattened against the pavement. The remaining rats hung back.


The slender figure of a boy maybe eighteen or nineteen touched down and crouched again, poised to strike. No mortal could perform such maneuvers with this speed and agility, not to mention almost ballet-like grace. The Immortyl’s face betrayed raw emotion, indicating he was new to the blood, probably not much older than his form suggested. Eamon, the rat pack leader, drew and aimed a pistol at him. The stranger raised his hands above his head once more.


I gave a sharp whistle for Eamon to stand down. “What’s going on here?”


Eamon lowered the gun and spit on the ground. His forever-twelve-year-old face scrunched up. “We found this one skulking about,” he said. Even after a century and half in New York his speech still gave away his Dublin origins. “Says he’s come from the chief elder’s house.”


The wind kicked up harder. Long, auburn hair whipped about the newcomer’s face. He shivered, hugging an Indian-styled shirt around him. Traces of black kohl and sienna rouge clung to his eyes and mouth, as if he’d scrubbed the paint off in a hurry. The make-up and impractical clothing pointed to origins more exotic than the russet hair and milky complexion suggested. His story sounded plausible. However, the odds that this kid had escaped the chief elder’s compound near Calcutta and made it all the way to New York on his own were unlikely. No slave had ever left there of his own accord.


Kurt had stood trial at the chief elder’s court for inciting rebellion. He’d told me that the chief, Kalidasa, employed state-of-the-art security, as well as vampire-eating tigers. The place was a veritable fortress. Still, there was always a first time, and this newcomer had held his own against Eamon’s band.


I had to admire the kid for standing up to Eamon and his thugs.


The pack leader and I didn’t care much for one another, but he’d fought for Kurt in our recent war with a rival elder. For political reasons, I forced myself to take a civil tone with him. “Did you bother to ask his business before you ordered an attack?” I called to the newcomer, “You--come here.”


The boy lowered his hands and slinked forward. I’d never seen a man move quite like this, with delicacy just brushing the feminine, yet suggesting coiled up, sinewy strength like a jungle cat. Instinct prompted my hand to reach for the Glock concealed on my hip. The kid had danger scrawled all over him in big garish letters.


“Is this true?” I asked.


“I ran away from court,” the boy replied, his speech tinged with a Scottish burr. “I’m seeking refuge here.”


The plaintive tone struck a chord in me. I sized him up again. His winsome looks didn’t belong to the usual brand of vampire assassin, but to a household slave chosen for his decorative value. Still, his swift feet could kill if given the chance. Wouldn’t it be just like Giulietta to send death in such an appealing guise?


“Kurt’s counselor, Chase Powers, can vouch for me,” he continued. “Take me to him.”


“You know Chase?”


“We met in India during Kurt’s trial. He said I’d be welcome here. Please Miss. You have to believe me. I’ve come such a long way and got nowhere else to go.” Desperation filled the spooky, green eyes. They almost glowed, more like a cat’s than a man’s. “There’s probably a bounty offered for my return by now.”


“What did you do?”


“It’s not what I did. It’s what I am.” He held out his hands. Henna tattoos snaked around the wrists and tops, elaborate whirls and spirals. “The marks of my order. I’m an adept of the ancient arts.”


He was an adept? I’d always imagined these temple devotees and de facto courtesans as Indian in origin. I gave the boy a closer look. His clothing had seen better days, but the sinuous way he moved made them a fashion statement. You couldn’t deny the perfection of feature and figure required of his order. He stood out from Eamon’s mangy lot like an emerald in a box of Cracker Jacks.

Sexy Cedric Discusses Courtesans

Today, my lovelies, I will begin discussing courtesans.  People say,  "A male courtesan? Surely, such a thing never existed in history." Well my darlings, I'm here to set you straight.  Wait, let me choose another word.  I'm here to enlighten you. 

Cedric portrait by Arlie Adams

During the Renaissance the Italian word "cortigiana", came to refer to "the ruler's mistress” and later evolved to mean a well-educated, trained artist of dance and singing who provided companionship to wealthy, powerful, or upper-class men. The English word courtesan was derived from the French "courtisane" during the 16th century.

Veronica Franco, Venetian poet and courtesan

 However, the art of the courtesan is much older and not restricted to women. Many ancient cultures had some version of a courtesan. In ancient Greece, the Hetaera was a woman of education and some freedom. When a woman married in ancient Greece, she was expected to breed and raise children, living a cloistered life. In contrast, a Hetaera could live a public life, own property and even take part in political discourse. One of the most famous of these women was named Aspasia, the companion of Pericles. There is some evidence pointing to a small number of women servicing other women with lesbian companionship,So, just what is a courtesan? Many people will say a prostitute. True, sex is a large part of the trade, but throughout history, courtesans were often well educated in many subjects and talented performing artists, like yours truly. The word courtesan originally meant a female courtier, one in attendance to a king or other powerful noble. Often, they were entrusted with secrets and employed as political operatives.

Ancient Greece has a reputation for prizing homosexual relationships, but this wasn’t without restrictions. For two grown men to have relations was generally frowned upon, instead Greek men sought the companionship of adolescent boys. Both art and literature of the time show that the erômenos (beloved) was a teen ranging from 13 to 20, or in some cases up to 30. Most evidence indicates that to be an eligible candidate, a youth would be of an age when an aristocrat began his formal military training.

There was widespread male prostitution, as certain acts, such as oral or anal sex, were looked upon as unseemly for upper-class Greeks to ask of an erômenos of their own class. In many ancient cultures, it was considered taboo for a man or youth of status to be “passive” in intercourse. The sanctioned act was to employ the thighs, not penetration, and the boy wasn’t supposed to ever feel arousal. It is likely however, that this recommendation wasn’t strictly adhered to. The life of a common prostitute in ancient Greece was stigmatized, and it became illegal for a free youth to sell sex. Indeed, men who later in life were exposed as former prostitutes could be stripped of rank. Can any of these be called a courtesan? Not by my definition, but some male entertainers who provided companionship could be properly referred to as courtesans.

This system of institutionalized pederasty is certainly repugnant by today’s standards. Many of these youths weren’t consenting and accounts often reveal that the objects of affection resented being used by their older lovers.

Alexander the Great flouted expectations of what male relationships were supposed to be. His boyhood friend, Haphaestion, remained his lover into adulthood. Alexander was gifted a young Persian named Bagoas. Bagoas had been made a eunuch in his childhood and became a favorite of Darius III, emperor of Persia. When Darius was murdered by his generals during Alexander's invasion of Persia in 330 BCE, one of the conspirators, Nabarzanes, gave Bagoas to Alexander as a gift. Apparently Bagoas was quite persuasive with Alexander. The historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, who wrote a biography of Alexander in the 1st or 2nd Century CE, says that it was Bagoas' pleas that saved Nabarzanes from being killed by Alexander for regicide. Curtius referred to the boy as "Bagoas, an eunuch exceptional in beauty and in the very flower of boyhood, with whom Darius was intimate and with whom Alexander would later be intimate." Bagoas is the hero of Mary Renault’s historical novel, The Persian Boy and a character in her Funeral Games.

Alexander Battling Darius III

Throughout history, we see examples of courtesans attached to temple service. Babylonian women before marriage were required to go to the temple of Ishtar and sell themselves to a man for sexual intercourse, but these women weren’t courtesans. There are other examples of such practices in temples of Aphrodite and Astarte, but these indicate more of a rite involving one-time sex rather than an ongoing relationship that characterizes the art of a courtesan.

The devidasi of India were pre-pubescent and young adolescent girls from villages forced into a ritual marriage to a deity or a temple. They were trained in music, dancer and spiritual rituals. They worked in the temple as spiritual guides, dancers. Originally, the devidasi were celibate, but they later were expected to sexually service male devotees. In the past, some celebrated devidasi attracted the attentions of powerful men and became their companions. A few of them even exercised political influence. However, there are still young women forced to become devidasi, despite the Indian government’s work to end the practice.

It seems, my dear, that this subject is a much more involved than I anticipated, and so I’ve decided to dedicate a portion of my upcoming Saturday posts to discussing different types of courtesans.

Until next time!

Your passionate and loving boy,

Cedric

*All images are in the public domain, excepting Cedric's portrait by Arlie Adams, owned by the author, and the bookcover by Linda Houle of L&L Dremaspell which is allowed to author for publication purposes.

Sexy Cedric talks about Gods and Goddesses of Love

Cedric portrait by Arlie Adams 

Greetings my darlings! Welcome to day two of my Valentine’s Day feature. Being a devotee of the Great Mother in her fierce form of Kali, I thought I’d talk about some gods and goddesses of love and their importance in mythology. Instead of starting with the more familiar Greco-Roman myths, let’s take a look at an older mythos, that of India.


Kama is the Indian god of erotic love and believed to be the forerunner of the Greek Eros and Roman Cupid. Like, Eros, he carries a bow and arrow (to my authoress’ delight, he’s often depicted riding upon a parrot). Like Eros, he takes the form of a beautiful young man. The goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, is looked upon by many as the epitome of loving devotion and sensual beauty. Here is a tale that involves both.

Lord Shiva was set away from the celestial kingdom by Indra and the other gods to do penance after killing Daksha, the father of his dead wife Sati. Once Shiva’s anger passed he fell into a deep sorrow and went into a trance, motionless and meditative. He no longer took any interest in the world and creation was unraveling. Demons (Ashuras) were gaining power, and the gods called upon Uma/Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati, Shiva’s dead wife, for help. From her birth Parvati knew she was destined to marry Shiva and conceive a son, who would defeat the demons. She lovingly tended the oblivious god, but still he would not stir. Parvati enlisted Kama to rouse Shiva from his meditation by shooting one of his flower-tipped arrows from his sugarcane bow. Shiva, startled from his slumber, opened his third eye of destruction and incinerated Kama into ash, but when the lord of creation and destruction looked upon the lovely Parvati, he was moved to embrace her as his own. Shiva and Parvati eternally dance together across the cosmos. In the great scheme of things, this symbolizes the cosmic dance of the divine feminine and masculine principles. In other words, all of us need to understand that we embody both of these sets of attributes and understand them to be spiritually healthy. Now, lest you think poor Kama was left a pile of ash, Rati, the love god’s consort, entreated Lord Shiva to restore her husband to life. Shiva relented and Kama was brought to life as a formless spirit, visible only to his wife, Rati.


Other Indian Deities associated with love:

Radha- the wife of Krishna and the personification of divine love.
Sarasvati -Inventor of the Sanskrit language. Goddess of sensual love, creativity, beauty, art, music, learning, science and teaching


Now, let’s move on to the Greco-Roman myths. Most of you are probably familiar with Venus/Aphrodite the goddess of love, beauty and sexual passion. She is often depicted as rising from the sea on a half-shell or even minus her arms (Venus De Milo indeed had arms at one time). In one account, Aphrodite was born out of the sea foam after Cronus cut of the genitals of Uranus and threw them into the ocean, but in another she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione the mother goddess. Ouch on the first one. Her personality was often vain and demanding. (Not unlike the queen of the Immortyls, Giulietta, if I may say). Aphrodite caused much mischief among the gods. (See the judgment of Paris) This lady got around and cheated on her husband Haephesteus with Ares, Adonis and Hermes. (Hmm, reminds me of another Immortyl woman I know.) She became the archetypal mother-in-law when her son, Eros, fell for the mortal girl Psyche.

Eros is the god of sexual desire in Greek mythology and called Cupid by the Romans.  Although he's often depicted as a baby, he's truly represented as a youth.  As an eternally 19 year-old male, I can tell you why this is.  Who is randier than a boy in his teens?

Lovely, isn't he?  No, I didn't model for the statue.  He's more in Kurt's line.

In some stories, Eros is the son of Aphrodite, but others name his as one of the original gods.  In one of the tales, he is sent by his mother Aphrodite to make a beautiful mortal girl anmed Psyche fall in loive with some horrible beast.  Instead of shooting the fair lass, he falls upon one of his own arrows and is pierced through the heart, thus falling in love.  After much trial and tribulation brought on by jealous Mum Aphrodite, the young couple get together and symbolizes the union of soulful and erotic love.

Other Greek and Roman Gods associated with Love and Sex:

Priapus was the Roman god of male potency. If you take too much Viagra and get an unquenchable stiffy, you suffer from priapism.

Hymen was the Greek god of marriage. He always pops out at the appropriate moment.

Hermaphroditus (The son of Aphrodite and Hermes, depicted often with female breasts and male genitals) He’s been called the god of bisexuality--my kind of bloke.

Satyrs were half man and half goat, known for chasing nymphs. A man with compulsive sexual behavior is suffering from Satyriasis.

Dionysus is the wine god, but he is also associated with orgiastic excess, joy and divine ecstasy. If you’ve indulged too much, you know what I mean.


The Norse goddess of love, beauty and fertility Freyja is somewhat akin to Aphrodite. She also is associated with war and death and receives into her hall the half of warriors who die in battle but don’t go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla. There is some conjecture as to whether she and the Goddess Frigg are actually two faces of one Germanic fertility goddess. She was revered as a supernatural figure in Scandinavia into the 19th century. The name Freyja means, “the lady”, related to the German word Frau. Many things named after her were renamed for the Virgin Mary when Scandinavia was Christianized.


Love Deities of Various Cultures:
Ishtar was the Babylonian goddess of love, procreation and war.

Inanna came from the Mesopotamian region and was also a goddess of love and war. Although a virgin, she is the goddess of sex and procreation.

Ashtart was a Semitic goddess of sex, maternity and fertility.
The Egyptians had Hathor and Isis. Hathor was often depicted as a cow. She is the goddess of childbirth and the patron of lovers. Isis was the goddess of magic, fertility and motherhood. Both of these Goddesses are sometimes shown wearing cow’s horn with a solar disc between them.

Indians revere the cow as the ultimate symbol of motherhood, so I guess this brings us full circle.

In closing, my darlings, love as you see fit to love! It’s divine madness.

*All images used aside from Cedric's portrait are in the public domain.