One of the strange things about the web is the way one keeps discovering things that are brand new -- to you -- but have been hidden in plain sight for years. I just came across a review of Cecilia Tan's anthology, The Erotic Fantastic, for example, which includes a favorable mention of "The Bride's Story".

The review by Oberon, in www.bluefood.ca, has the following to say about "The Bride's Story".

In between are gorgeously executed tales of sensuality and lust, seduction and conquest, surrender and betrayal. In M. Christian's State, a whore from the future becomes the perfect sex partner, my mimicking the state-of-the-art in non-human pleasuring. In Eric Delcarlo's The Jail Of His Mind And The Songs Within, a spy uses sex as a weapon to extract information from his cellmate in a futuristic prison where the walls have eyes. In Lynda J. Williams' The Bride's Story, lessons of love become a battle field between a young bride's Matron and the Courtesan she pays to teach her the ways of the world.

"The Bride's Story" was my first professional sale. I remember how excited, and a bit squeamish, I was about being included in S&M Pasts, the original book that it appeared in. I was treated very professionally and respectfully by Cecilia Tan, the editor, but -- well, I guess I can sum it by saying "The Bride's Story" was the mildest in the book. And being published in any book with S&M in the title wasn't something I could brag about to my dear mother. We are all bundles of contradictions.

"The Bride's Story" is a tale from Von's years as a courtesan. It is rather sweet, despite the nasty moments. The bride's matron is the real heroine. Determined to see her charges better prepared for the ugly side of sex than she was herself, she tries to force Von to ravage a frightened servant, as a de-romanticizing exercise for the bride. Von, of course, is just not the type. And Matron has to adjust her world view to accommodate at one decent guy.

I was honored when Cecilia wanted to republish "The Bride's Story" in her "best of" anthology, Erotic Fantastic. I have seen the book in university bookstores, as well, which is gratifying.
posted by Lynda at 05:12   comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments