Hi guys, we have Torquered Press’s newest anthology Mythologically Torqued stopping by today, I’ve pinched an excerpt and there’s a great giveaway… we also have Lisa’s review (sorry about the girly bits Lisa 😀 *cough*). So guys enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

Mythologically Torqued

Leigh Ellwood, L.J. Hamlin, Eva Lefoy, V.L. Locey, Jacey Mills, Alisha Monroe, Shiloh Sadler, Alyx Shaw, Delilah Storm, T. Strange, Carol Tierney, Angelique Voison, Max Wilde, Salome Wilde, Logan Zachary

Mythology, whether classic or modern, has always taken readers on a magical ride. Mythologically Torqued, volume I, takes those tales from days of old, or more recent history, and places a unique spin on the beloved lore. 

The gods of Olympus make appearances, as do deities from Japanese, Norse, and other belief systems. With rampant sexual desires, these gods manage to slake their thirst for passions of the flesh in a rather untraditional manner…if the oral traditions passed down from generation-to-generation were at all accurate. 

These fifteen short stories are penned by both seasoned scribes and new authors; the anthology provides readers with the perfect opportunity to explore offerings from their favorite storytellers as well as find a new favorite or two. And, a unique perspective on the stories we enjoyed—or were forced down our throats at the hands of a sadistic English teacher or two—in our youth. 

Containing both M/M and F/F stories from authors Alisha Monroe, Alyx Shaw, Angelique Voisen, Carol Tierney, Delilah Storm, Eva Lefoy, Jacey Mills, L.J. Hamlin, Leah Ellwood, Logan Zachary, Max Wilde, Salome Wilde, Shiloh Saddler, T. Strange, and V.L. Locey, Mythologically Torqued volume I is sure to have something for every penchant. 

Eros finds his soul mate in the arms of a demigod friend in L.J. Hamlin’s In Love with Zeus’ Son. In Shiloh Sadler’s Clipped Wings, two men on a plantation find love under the most unusual circumstances in 1842 Missouri. V.L. Locey’s Back to the Garden, Pan hits up Woodstock with the sun god Apollo—sex, drugs, and rock and roll take on a whole new meaning. In Brísingamen, Carol Tierney offers us the story of a magical necklace, and the payment goddess Freyja delivered to four dwarven sisters for it’s creation. Delphinos, by T. Strange, is a modern-age retelling of Dionysus’ creation of dolphins. In Angelique Voison’s version of the Japanese Moon Princess myth, Reiko is tasked with bringing the Emperor’s future bride, the fabled Moon Princess to court, and complications arise when Reiko falls head over heels for Kaguya. Charged with ensuring Sisyphus fails, Hercules is conflicted by his feelings for the former ruler in Angelique Voison’s How Hercules Got His Bruise. In Leah Ellwood’s Styx and Stone, Ferrying souls across the Styx is a lonely business, but Charon doesn’t mind—newly arrived Stone is more than willing to keep him company. No one believes in the Greek gods anymore, and Apollo is in a rut, Ganymede—cupbearer to the gods— tries to get Apollo to see what’s in front of him in Jacey Mills’ Another Night at the End of the World. Salome Wilde’s Eternal Grind offers a corporate take on Christian Hell, populated with horned and hoofed demons inspired by medieval monks’ fertile imaginations, which follows a pair of lesbian demon baristas, determined to find their own happily-ever-after. In the distant past, Ero was the god of desire, but in present day, he looks for love with Psy—a peerlessly gorgeous mortal man—and needs to keep a secret, in Alisha Monroe’s The Myth of Ero and Psy. Bound by chains and defenseless, Thor is being held captive by Garrick, a young man also forced to service until demands are met in Logan Zachary’s Bound by Desire. Together, attraction ignites between Thor and Garrick—can love grow if it is bound by desire? In Delilah Storm’s The Golden Balls, true love’s kiss is powerful, and Jasper’s sexuality awakens—will Anur be able to keep Jasper in this sleepy little kingdom? A spurned lover, mythical horse, and a public official walk into a pub—murder, mayhem, and everlasting love result in Alyx Shaw’s The Kelpie.

Excerpt

Back to the Garden by V.L. Locey

A firm foot to my backside startled me from my nap.

“Get you to the pond and bathe,” Apollo snapped, then pulled his bedding out from under me. He held the blanket to his nose then grimaced. “Ugh. It stinks of male goat.”

“You are most cranky, my lord,” I muttered as I stumbled out the flap to greet the new day. A handsome young man with dark hair and green eyes smiled shyly at me, and then rushed into Apollo’s tent. I turned in time to see my uncle embrace the young man, then close the tent flap. Ah. So thatwas why I had been chased from the tent so unceremoniously. I could not fault my uncle. The young man had been fair of face. The new sun shone down on the top of my head. I reached up to push the kinky mass of my hair from my face. Warm rays touched my face. Smiling to myself, I made my way to the pond and was shocked to see so many humans splashing about in it. Naked bodies bobbed up and down as laughter filled the air.

I slid my breeches off and waded out into the chilly water without benefit of a steam room filled with juniper, oils, or strigel. How did humans cleanse themselves? A young man with skin dark as night lingered beside me as I began lifting handfuls of water from the pond.

“Here, use this.” I blinked to clear the droplets from my lashes.

“You have my thanks.” I took the pitcher made from a material I had no knowledge of, and lowered it into the water. I doused myself several times then rubbed my hands over my face and neck.

“Don’t have any soap?”

I glanced at the dark male then shook my head. He waded to the shore, the pond sluicing around his lean waist, and returned quickly with a hard rectangular object that smelled like a mountain glen. I met his look. He smiled and my stomach, filled to near overflowing with ambrosia, flipped over on itself.

“Go ahead and scrub, you smell like you slept in a barn.”

“If you tell me your name I shall thank you properly,” I said as I ran the bar over my left forearm. Froth appeared where the bar moved over my skin. It was a pleasant feeling—not as pleasant as a good scraping, but enjoyable all the same. The young man studied me with deep brown eyes.

“Are you a poet?” he asked as I lathered my arm then lifted it to cleanse my armpit.

“Nay, that is my uncle. I am a shepherd,” I told him. “From Olympus,” I said, and then realized that mentioning where one hails from seems to be a social gaffe among the humans of this century. “Which is in the state called Washington.”

“Wow, you made a long trip to celebrate.” I nodded and continued washing.

“My name is Jerome Acardi.”He offered me his hand so I slapped my soapy one across his palm, then returned to my bath. “I rode in with some friends from Jersey.”

“Ah yes, Jersey. ‘Tis a most beautiful village.” I ran the bar over my face many times then slid under the water. When I came up, Jerome was smiling at me. I smiled in return. His hair, so much like mine, was drying now and becoming more voluminous with each passing moment. I washed several times, until I felt sure that my aroma was no longer offensive. Jerome took his soap from me then walked to the shore, this time leaving the water to deposit his cleansing bar beside a ball of fuzzy material. His ass was tight, tempting. The water coursed down his back and ran in a thin stream between his buttocks. When he bent over, I saw that his stones were snug to his body. I wished to see more of him, for he was most appealing and kind. I glanced away when he turned, pretending to be studying a bug floating about on the water’s surface. ‘Twould not do to be seen ogling his cock, for he may not welcome such attention.

“So, what’s your name?” Jerome asked after wading back out to stand beside me.

“I am known as Pan.” I pushed the water skipper dancing on the pond’s surface away. Several young women near us squealed and splashed. Jerome laughed. He had a rich laugh. One that instantly made me wish to hear it again.

“Pan from Washington State who thinks that Jersey is a village,” he said, pulling my attention from the women trying to escape the bug. Our eyes met. His held mirth I was relieved to see. Jerome leaned closer, his arm rubbed my wet bicep. Shivers danced over my flesh. “It’s cool,” he whispered beside my ear. It grew difficult to swallow. “If you’re here illegally, I won’t turn you over the fuzz.”

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Review

Title: Mythologically Torqued Anthology Volume 01

Series: Anthology

Author: Leigh Ellwood, L.J. Hamlin, Eva Lefoy, V.L. Locey, Jacey Mills, Alisha Monroe, Shiloh Saddler, Alyx Shaw, T. Strange, Delilah Storm, Carol Tierney, Angelique Voisen, Max Wilde, Salome Wilde, and Logan Zachary

Genre: Gay Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Fables, Fantasy, Paranormal

Length: Novel (364 Pages)

ISBN: 978-1-61040-910-0

Publisher: Torquere Books (May 13, 2015)

Heat Level: Moderate to Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts (Overall)

Reviewer: Lisa

Blurb: Mythology, whether classic or modern, has always taken readers on a magical ride. Mythologically Torqued, volume I, takes those tales from days of old, or more recent history, and places a unique spin on the beloved lore.

The gods of Olympus make appearances, as do deities from Japanese, Norse, and other belief systems. With rampant sexual desires, these gods manage to slake their thirst for passions of the flesh in a rather untraditional manner…if the oral traditions passed down from generation-to-generation were at all accurate.

These fifteen short stories are penned by both seasoned scribes and new authors; the anthology provides readers with the perfect opportunity to explore offerings from their favorite storytellers as well as find a new favorite or two. And, a unique perspective on the stories we enjoyed—or were forced down our throats at the hands of a sadistic English teacher or two—in our youth.

Product Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=4387

Review: This is Torquere’s largest anthology so far. My warning is however that it has m/m and f/f in it. It starts off with a slow start to it, it was a bit hard to get into for me. It is a story of mythology. It takes the tales of days of old and with more recent history.

There was something missing in this book for me to like. I can understand how it happens though. When putting out an anthology, you focus on the stories themselves but they are not developed into what they could be. I need more back ground and details in how they start out and get where they are at now. Now I am good with m/m stories but I can’t stand anything in it that has females in it. So I was quite disappointed in this book.

Styx and Stone by Leigh Ellwood ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Ferrying souls across the Styx is a lonely business, but Charon doesn’t mind—newly arrived Stone is more than willing to keep him company. It starts off about how Charon picks up the souls but it doesn’t really tell me what I would like to know. He picks up Stone and ends up with more than what he was waiting for. Stone is quite different than most that is for sure.

This was not a bad story; however it needs to be flushed out more for me to get into it. I actually liked it and would like to read more about these two men. It has just a hint of humor in it. It also makes me hope that death really is like this.

How Hercules Got His Bruise by Eva Lefoy ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

In ancient Greece, Sisyphus the rock pusher has gained a god-like physique that rivals Hercules’. When the two men meet, their mutual lust explodes into a night of first-time ecstasy. But the next morning, Zeus’ thunderbolt aims to tear them apart.

This story had a bit more humor to it. However it did not give me what I wanted, a nice juicy story. There were parts that were missing that zing to it. I did like the title and the fact that some guy was pushing rocks. Why a god would get upset by that makes it a bit strange to me though. Which gave me a bigger laugh. It also shows love at first sight and anger at a misunderstanding. I liked it a bit more than the first story.

In Love with Zeus’ Son by L.J. Hamlin ♥♥♥♥ 3 ½ Heart

Eros is living the dream life in Greek Paradise, but when a friend asks for a favor, it may be Eros’ heart on the line for a change. Sot has felt that he was going to turn out like his father and goes to his best friend for help. Eros’s help shows him that he belongs to the god of love.

This one was way better than I thought it would be. It actually gave me a story that I could sink my teeth into. It is too bad that it was so dang short for me to love. I would have loved for more details and story line. I want to see more about these two gorgeous men. One man a god and another part god part human.

Clipped Wings by Shiloh Sadler ♥♥♥♥ 3 ½ Hearts

When a swan shifter is captured by a cruel master he develops feelings for another male slave. Will the two men take flight to keep their love alive. Shiloh is an amazing author who always gives a wonderful story of two gorgeous men in love. Although I must admit that it is a bit strange to me.

A swan shifter who meets his mate while held captive holds an appeal to me, but the story was missing something for me to truly love. It goes from one part of the story of meeting and falling in love to automatically being safe. It just seems like the story was rushed. I wished that it had been longer and then put more detail to it.

The Kelpie by Alyx J. Shaw ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Ian paused in his wandering to look at the creature. “Here, what’s a kelpie doing in Cornwall? You should be in Scotland.” “I moved down with my Gran because we didn’t care for haggis.” This story was a bit funny to me but was way to short to actually get into.

Ian and Norman’s story is a bit hard to actually to get into and actually understand. I can see how Ian was tricked, saved by a kelpie and fallen in love. Not bad but it needs to be expanded so you can actually understand it a bit more. It was not my type of story though.

Eternal Grind by Salome Wilde ♥♥ 2 Hearts

Salome Wilde’s Eternal Grind offers a corporate take on Christian Hell, populated with horned and hoofed demons inspired by medieval monks’ fertile imaginations. The tale follows a pair of lesbian demon baristas, determined to find their own happily-ever-after. This was too hard to get into let alone read all the way through. I can’t stand a story that has females in it, but it was part of the story.

It was a bit out there for me. Not only for the fact that it has females in it but it was told with such a flare that I couldn’t even get into. I was a bit disappointed in it. A story for me to love must catch my attention in the first few lines to get a hold of. The wording alone made it a bit hard to get into.

Another Night at the End of the World by Jacey Mills ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

No one believes in the Greek gods anymore, and Apollo is in a rut. Can Ganymede, cupbearer to the gods, get Apollo to see what’s in front of him. If I was Ganymede I would have shot the gods by now. Ganymede is pretty much a prince that had been taken to be a slave to the gods. He was even Zeus play thing. However Apollo notices him, really notices him and takes a liking to him. Things start to heat up with them both.

It was a bit better than most but still was missing enough to like. It doesn’t have much humor to the story, more of a serious tone to it. However the characters were down right hot. Even the goddesses seem better in this story. I liked this story but was a bit disappointed in it. I wished that it had been longer with more of a story to read.

The Fifth World by Max Wilde ♥♥♥ 2 ½ Hearts

Photographer Maggie hopes to capture the image of the wolf she sees in the frozen forest. Instead, it is her heart that is captured. In the process she learns a whole new way to see the world—both this one and the one that is to come. This story was a big disappointment for me. I am not much for reading anthologies, but when it is a m/m story I can get into them, however I do not want a book that has females in it.

I couldn’t get into this story. I started reading and it was pretty good, but I didn’t much care for it. If you take the females out of the story, then I can admit that it has a great story line to it. It would make for an excellent novella. However for me, I just couldn’t get into it.

Bound by Desire by Logan Zachary ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Bound by chains and defenseless, Thor is held captive by Garrick, a young man also forced into service until demands are met. Together, a desire ignites a flame that can’t be extinguished—can love grow if it is bound by desire? Thor is captured and held, but Garrick realizes that he has found a way to help Thor escape their confines.

It has a bit of flare to it that made it pretty good. To short for my hearts delight but better than most. I wished that it had been a bit longer. The blurb for this story is a bit misleading but it was a nice story.

Brísingamen by Carol Tierney ♥♥♥ 2 ½ Hearts

An erotic retelling of how Freyja the Norse goddess of love and lust earned her magical necklace Brísingamen. This story was a big disappointment for me. I can’t stand females in my love stories so I just couldn’t get into it. It has a lot of description to it and a longer story than most of the others. However for me I could just not get past the females part.

I did like the Viking theme to the story. It was missing quite a bit for me to like. I am not one for anything even hinting historical but it does have a twist to it that was unique. However I was not able to get into the story.

Delphinos by T. Strange ♥♥♥ 2 ½ Hearts

Delphinos by T. Strange is a modern-age retelling of Dionysus’ creation of dolphins. Johnny is a cute guy who works around dolphins. Randall is the boss and takes a interest in Johnny, giving him a hand in all. Trixie is Johnny’s favorite dolphin and comes to see her quite a bit. Dennis shows up for all of the dolphins birth. He has taken an interest in Johnny but not the same as Randall. Dennis is really Dionysus and at one time he had been captured and turned into a dolphin so his connection is stronger than most.

This was a disappointing story. It didn’t give me what I wanted in a story. Basically what it did give me is a history lesson with just a hint of a relationship between a god and a human. I was not impressed with it. Maybe had it been longer with more story to it, then I could have gotten into it.

The Myth of Ero and Psy by Alisha Monroe ♥♥♥♥ 3 ½ Hearts

In the distant past, Ero was the god of desire. Can he find love with Psy—a peerlessly gorgeous mortal man—and still manage to keep his secret? Psy worked at the club ran by V, as it turns out V is the goddess of love. V absolutely hates him and thinks he is taking the attention away from her. So when Ero notices him and insults him, Psy knows he must leave. However Ero saves him from being hurt and ends up falling in love with a mortal.

This is a bit better than the other ones. I was surprised by it and look forward to reading more about two gorgeous men. There is a story hear that calls to be read. I liked it and look forward to reading more by this author.

The Golden Balls by Delilah Storm ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Anur may be a frog and Jasper may be a prince, but the two are meant to be together—and no foolish king had better stand in their way. Jasper’s father is a jerk all the way around. He cursed Anur to be a frog forever. Anur had known from the moment Jasper was born that they were meant to be together. Jasper was interested in Anur and keeps going back. His father tries to keep them away but their love will beat all.

This story was a bit better than some but it was missing something for me to truly love. I want more of a detailed story with a bit of flare to it. I did enjoy it though.

Kaguya by Angelique Voisen ♥♥♥ 2 ½ Hearts

Tasked with bringing the Emperor’s future bride, the fabled Moon Princess to court, complications arise for Reiko when she falls head over heels for Kaguya. It is an entertaining little story with a great story line but I just felt that it was not for me.

It has the humor in it that many of Angelique’s stories show but I just couldn’t get into it. This story was a big disappointment. First off when I am reading a m/m story even an anthology I can usually get into it, but I do not want stories that have females in it. It brings down the whole story for me. I usually enjoy Angelique’s stories but this one was not for me.

Back to the Garden by V.L. Locey ♥♥♥ 2 ½ Hearts

Pan, the satyr prince, is growing weary of meaningless trysts and the perfection of Olympus. So when Apollo mentions the Woodstock Music Festival Pan sets off to find a groovy, everlasting love. It has a touch of humor to it that will draw you in but for me it was missing something to truly get into.

Overall

I was quite disappointed in this whole book. There were some good parts to it but it was just not for me. It has too much of a historical tune to it with all of the mythological stories that does the exact opposite of what it should have done. Some of the authors I have read many times over, but even though I would continue to read them, I was not impressed. It comes off as fast paced and rushed. I like my stories to be all in the same way not mixed with m/m and f/f. I should have paid more attention to that part before starting to read it. I have one rule that I start reading no matter what, I must continue till it is finished. This story did nothing for me but make me feel like I wasted an hour trying to get into it.

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