Hiya guys we have Arthur Griffin popping in today with his very stunning cover to his upcoming release The Lusty Adventures of Theseus, Arthur chats a bit about the cover and book, and there’s a steamy excerpt! So enjoy the post! <3 ~Pixie~

The Lusty Adventures of Theseus

Arthur Griffin

The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur has never been quite this steamy!

Handsome Theseus journeys to Athens to claim his birthright as heir to the throne, and along the way he meets the roguish Pirithous, who teaches him all about matters of the heart—and body. When they reach the city, Theseus is shocked to discover that his father, the king, has a tradition of sacrificing youths to the Minotaur, the monster that inhabits the island nation of Crete.

Theseus and Pirithous, along with Iphitrion, a slave boy they befriend, set out to slay the Minotaur. After learning Crete is ruled by a mad tyrant with a fetish for orgies, Theseus puts his new skills to the test, fighting, flirting, and fornicating his way through the ranks, working his way past soldiers, satyrs, and gods alike as he attempts to accomplish his goal and save his city.

Arthur Griffin

I’ve been a fan of the artist Joe Phillips for years, so I was super stoked when we were able to license one of his images as the cover art for my soon-to-be-released mythological erotic adventure, The Lusty Adventures of Theseus.

This picture captures everything I wanted the book to be. It’s incredibly sexy, it’s clearly magical, and the rich autumnal color scheme along with the muted clouds and rainbow root it very much in nature. Both the man and the satyr are naked and locked in an erotic embrace. The effect is gorgeous and intoxicating. It’s the kind of picture where you see something new each time you look at it. I had stared at it thousands of times before I even noticed that the satyr is holding panpipes—a mythological item that are present in my story—just inches above the mortal man’s buttocks. I love little touches like that, and that’s one of the reasons why Joe is a master at what he does.

All of the elements of Joe’s picture appear in The Lusty Adventures of Theseus. There’s a lot of nudity and man-on-man action (and man-on-satyr action, and man-on-male-nymph action, etc). It takes place right smack in the middle of the Greek mythological era. Gods and magical creatures abound. And at the center of it all is Theseus, a strong, clever young man who just can’t seem to stay clothed no matter how hard he tries.

If you like what you see, make sure to follow me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MrArthurGriffin) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/MrArthurGriffin).

To order The Lusty Adventures of Theseus, click here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7514

Excerpt

The day was hot, and so Theseus threw his traveling cloak back over his shoulders, letting the sun pour down on his otherwise nude body. If he spied any women coming down the path, he would be sure to lower his wool covering—it was unlawful for a woman to behold a naked man in public. But for now he was alone, and so he marched along, cloak back and cock forward, carrying his sandals so he could feel the well-trodden grass between his toes.

Theseus looked down at his compact torso, at his genitals bouncing happily as he walked, and at the strong legs below. His body was hard and chiseled from a life of rigorous farmwork, and pleasingly brown from the sun. He smiled, knowing he made an impressive figure.

And impressive was exactly what he needed to be, considering he was about to claim future ownership of the throne of Athens.

He heard a great rumbling in the distance. Up ahead, the path curved around a hill, so his view was blocked. The sound grew louder, and before his astonished eyes a herd of cattle rounded the bend heading straight for him! Behind them, a lad of an age with Theseus was riding a magnificent white stallion, yelling at the cattle and cracking a whip. When he saw Theseus, he ceased his yelling, and as one, the cattle slowed to a lumbering walk.

The young man was clad in a vibrant red chiton tunic that draped from his right shoulder to his waist, leaving half his chest exposed. His body was all ropy muscle, lean and sinewy, and his chest was tanned and glorious, the one exposed nipple soft and brown. There was a mischievous glint to his eyes, which were greenish blue and remarkably pretty. His hair, a light sandy brown, fell to his shoulders, and a day-old beard dusted his chin.

“Hello, there, handsome stranger,” the youth said. “A fine day to you.”

“And to you,” Theseus said, mimicking his pleasantries. The youth had an Athenian accent, crisp and polished. Theseus suddenly felt ashamed of his rough countryside dialect.

The boy looked him up and down, his eyes feasting hungrily on the muscles in Theseus’s abdomen before lowering to rest on Theseus’s cock. He licked his lips. “I am Pirithous of Athens,” he said. “And who might you be? From the markings on your cloak, you are no Athenian. Where do you hail from?”

“Troezen,” Theseus said. “But Athens is my destination.”

“You’re a long way from home,” Pirithous said.

“Not exactly. Athens is to be my new home.”

“Is that so? Well, bully for you. I’m leaving Athens, as it happens.”

“Athens is the center of the world. Why would you leave?”

“The center of the world? Oh, but you are from the provinces, aren’t you?”

Pirithous kicked a leg over his horse’s neck, and as his tunic flew up, Theseus caught a quick glimpse of a low-hanging scrotum and dark, inviting hole.

Pirithous dropped to the ground and approached Theseus. He looked down at Theseus’s cock and said, “You know, in Athens it’s said a man is only truly naked when his skin is withdrawn and the head of his penis is exposed.”

“The same is said in my village.”

“I would see all of you.” Pirithous licked his lips once again.

Theseus saw a bulge beginning to form in the front of the other young man’s tunic. “Tell me why you’re in such a rush to leave Athens,” he said, dodging the advance.

Pirithous smiled wickedly. “Can you keep a secret?” When Theseus nodded, he continued, “The cattle belong to Aegeus. I’m… liberating them. For a small return, of course.”

“You stole from the king?” Theseus was shocked.

“Liberated. Stealing is such a nasty word. Anyway, Aegeus deserves that and more. If you knew anything of Athens, you’d know that.”

“You slander your own king?” Theseus’s blood started to boil. “And you dare condescend to me? Thief!”

“What’s it to you anyway?” Pirithous seemed surprised by Theseus’s anger. “You’re not even Athenian. You hold no allegiance to Aegeus.”

“I am his son!” Theseus shouted.

Pirithous cocked his head to the side and stared at him. “The king has no son.”

“He does, though he’s never laid eyes on me. I go to claim my birthright.”

“A bastard. Fascinating.” Pirithous returned to his stallion, reached into a cloth bag tied to the saddle, and produced a small clay jar. “Well, wayward prince, let it never be said I’m not a fair youth.” He laughed. “For I am fair—both to look upon and when following rules.”

“Rules?”

“Indeed, rules. Can I assume you mean to challenge me for possession of the cattle?”

Theseus regarded him warily. “I do.”

“Right, very good, then. Are you acquainted with the sport of wrestling?”

Theseus’s eyes narrowed. “I am.”

“Well, we’ll have a nice contest, then. The first to pin the other wins the cattle. I’d say that’s fair, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Completely.” Theseus smiled cockily. This youth had no idea of the strength Theseus possessed.

“And this is no pancration match, mind you. No striking or kicking of any kind. Pure wrestling. Civilized. Do we have an accord?”

“We do.”

Pirithous untied the rope that belted his tunic, and with one sweeping motion, he pulled the chiton up over his head and threw it over the horse’s back.

Theseus felt his heart quicken when he beheld the other boy in his nudity. Pirithous was spectacular to look upon: two large square muscles made up his chest, finely woven bumps lined his stomach, his thighs were long and lean, and a thick cock hung low and heavy, clearly half-alive from when Pirithous inspected Theseus so closely. Though he tried to set his mind to the task at hand, Theseus couldn’t help but feel his mouth water at the sight of the other young man.

Despite his anger, he wondered what it would feel like to take that long, thick cock in his mouth. He had never done such a thing himself, but he had heard other boys in his village talking about it because it was expected of them by their erastes mentors.

Pirithous uncapped the bottle and poured the contents—some sort of oil—onto his chest, letting it drip down his body. He spread the oil all over himself, working it deep into his skin until he shone, slick and wet, in the sunlight. As Pirithous smeared the oil onto his penis, Theseus felt his own cock immediately begin to stiffen.

Pirithous’s eyes drank up Theseus’s hardening cock, and he smiled that wicked smile once again.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Pirithous said. “In Athens, we fight completely nude.”

He gently pulled back his foreskin and rubbed the oil onto the fat head of his penis until it was as shiny as the rest of him. Pirithous’s cock twitched, growing larger in jerky motions, swiftly rising to point in the direction of Theseus. He also reached around behind him, spending some time slicking his buttocks and even darting between them, which made Theseus curious.

Pirithous then capped the bottle and tossed it to Theseus, who caught it.

“Go on, then,” Pirithous said. “You can’t properly wrestle unless you’re oiled up.” Trying desperately to ignore his straining erection, Theseus tipped the bottle and poured the oil into his palm. He smeared it onto his chest, abdomen, and legs, avoiding the throbbing member as it twitched away.

“Oh, for goodness sake.” Pirithous walked to Theseus, took the bottle from him, and poured it directly onto Theseus’s erection. “You mustn’t be so modest.”

Pirithous wrapped his fist around Theseus’s prick and rubbed, and for a moment Theseus felt his knees go weak. What felt like fingertips danced along his spine. Nothing in his life had ever felt so good. Slowly, Pirithous eased back Theseus’s foreskin until the head was completely bare. Theseus knew he should be ashamed of this exposure, but his cock felt so right in Pirithous’s hand that he couldn’t object.

Pirithous brought his face close to Theseus’s, his mouth agonizingly within reach, and Theseus wanted nothing more than to press his lips against the other young man’s, to savor the taste of his tongue—

Pirithous released his cock and pulled back. “And now we wrestle.”

Pirithous immediately hit the ground and grabbed Theseus’s ankles, pulling them toward him while pressing his shoulder against Theseus’s abdomen so that Theseus fell on his back. Pirithous leaped onto him, their bodies slickly sliding against each other. He shot out his arm and wrapped it under Theseus’s leg, and as his hand passed by, Theseus felt Pirithous’s fingers sliding over his cock, then under the fork of his legs, running down his strong thighs. Pirithous was going for the pin already.

Theseus reached under Pirithous’s armpits and, with superhuman strength, tossed the youth off him.

Pirithous landed a few feet away, dazed. He looked around as if trying to figure out how he had ended up there.

“That all you got?” Theseus said cockily.

Pirithous flashed a wicked grin and launched himself at Theseus once again.

Theseus, greater in strength by far, outmaneuvered him at every step. He could have won ten times over, but found he was enjoying rubbing his oiled-up body against Pirithous and was in no hurry to end it. Over time, though, he began to tire and was amazed that Pirithous was still fighting as hard as he was when they had begun.

Finally, Theseus had had enough. He caught Pirithous underneath him and turned him around so that his chest was on the grass. Then he took Pirithous’s arms and held them back, forcing him down even harder, all the while trying to ignore the fact that his own throbbing erection was sliding between the oiled-up cleft of Pirithous’s buttocks. “Do you yield?” he asked, panting.

“I yield! I yield. And thank the gods that’s over.”

“Why?”

“Because after all that rubbing, I can’t stand to not have you inside me any longer.”

Before Theseus could register what his opponent had said, Pirithous reached behind him and grabbed ahold of Theseus’s oily member. He brought his knees up underneath him, lifting his bottom upward, and drew Theseus into himself. Both men cried out in sudden pleasure, especially Theseus, who had never had contact with anyone in this way before.

“Fuck me,” Pirithous said, gasping.

About Arthur

Arthur Griffin fell in love with mythology as a six-year-old when his mother, not able to find a sitter, took him with her to her art history class. They were studying Renaissance paintings of Greek and Roman legends, and he learned two very important things that day.

One, that there was a whole new world of thrilling stories and myths for him to explore and be enchanted by.

And two, dude! A lot of people were naked back then!

Since then, he’s always enjoyed the steamier side of stories of the ancient world, and is thrilled to be exploring them in his writing. Sometimes his stories are set in a fictional version of the past, or sometimes the gods of old come knockin’ (boots) in the present, but almost always there’s some element of mythology visible in his work.

Arthur lives in Los Angeles with his boyfriend, and works as a ghostwriter and screenwriter. When he’s not writing fantastical tales of two (or more) dudes doing the bone dance, he enjoys hiking, karaoke, superhero comics, getting drinks in West Hollywood, going to the beach, going to the gym, going to the movies, and writing non-smutty screenplays. (But for the record, smut is WAY more fun.)

You can follow him on Twitter at @MrArthurGriffin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MrArthurGriffin, or email him at MrArthurGriffin@gmail.com.