Myths about ancient Greek and Roman gods and goddesses have captivated listeners for years, oftentimes because they are so profoundly sexual. Think of all the stories that involve male gods having sex with mortal women--and of course all the love and jealousy that goes along with it. In a few cases, of course, female goddesses become smitten with male mortals; and the children that result are always of heroic proportions (perhaps in more ways than one). Recall the myth of Zeus and Io, a beautiful maiden whom he fell in love with and had to turn into a heifer in order to protect her from his jealous wife, Hera. Or the myth of Zeus and Semele, who asked to see Zeus's true divinity (though, of course, it's unclear which part of him this refers to?) and is instantly killed from the sight. Or maybe you can only remember one of the other of the dozen accounts of Zeus's sexcapades. Perhaps, instead, you recall the myth of beautiful Aphrodite cheating on her crippled husband, Hephaestus, and being caught in the act and displayed naked to the other gods and goddesses. Or maybe you prefer stories about Apollo and Daphne? or Poseidon and Caeneus? and on and on and on. The point is, the ancient gods were incredibly sexual. For this short story anthology, writers were asked to either adapt an existing myth, with more details or in a different style, or to make up their own myths or stories. Ancient gods and goddesses had to play an essential part in their stories, but writers were given free range to explore subject matter, different eras and time periods, and whichever gods they chose, no matter how obscure. Like a God's Kiss combines the epic and the erotic, the mythological and the real, to culminate in seven engaging and steamy stories. With protagonists ranging from heroic Hercules to arrogant Arachne and plots ranging from the well-known to the never-before-seen, readers will discover all new aspects about their favorite mythological characters, and will be introduced to a few new ones as well. Stories include Lionel Bramble's "The Pillars of Hercules," Catherine Lundoff's "Arachne," Erin O'Riordan's "In the Lair of the Monster," and Steven Schwartz's "Enchos Achilles (The Spear of Achilles)." "Conquering Calypso" by Carrie Cannon, "The Muse's Mask" by Michael M. Jones, and "The Everlasting" by Renatto Garcia also make an appearance in this eBook, edited by Cecilia Tan and Jennifer Levine.
