Consuming the Muse

Interspersed with artwork, Consuming the Muse is a collection of erotic tales flirting with time, space and the senses, on a woman's journey through Eros. Some of these stories may titillate, some may make you think. Sensual: of the senses or the indulgence of appetite: fleshy, sensory; devoted to, or preoccupied with, the senses or appetites; voluptuous... Food, drink, Dionysian indulgences, passion, obsession dominate AstridL's collection of erotic stories. Some are amuse-bouches, 'By the Skin of the Nose, ' and others a groaning-board of orgiastic excess. I loved 'Dancing with Chopsticks' and chuckled through, 'It's All in the Nose.' Appetites of all sorts are bound together as the most essential of human need, and it's done with intelligence and wit, with twists that lend piquancy in unexpected places and ways. Interspersing these are the palate cleansing, 'Soul Kill' and, notably, the gentle, sad, 'Just Lunch.' What struck me as I read through the book was the growing maturity of voice in the stories, playful, naughty, stunning, turning thoughtful, detailed, beautifully crafted. It's an interesting read, complex and varied. I hope you enjoy it. Helena Settimana. AstridL has a wonderful way of combining the art of arousal with the art of cooking. Her writing mixes both subjects in such a beautiful way as to arouse all of one's senses at once. What an incredible feat and such a luscious treat for her readers. Jamie Joy Gatto (Editor-in-Chief of Mind Caviar)