Santa Steps Out: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups
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Because it tells the truth, it does so joyously, and it is no more outrageous in its way than Salome or Titus Andronicus or The Bacchae, three classic literary works which dabble expertly in excess.
Because the multiform emotion known as passion is a godsend. By no means are all of its forms pretty. Some have the capacity to kill or cripple relationships. But the erotic form of passion is as divine as all the rest, the stuff souls are made of.
Because sacred cows often deserve a vigorous milking, a swift kick to their fly-encircled rumps, a one-way trip down the chutes of the slaughterhouse, a fall beneath the butcher's knife. Besides, it's always useful to discover that gods and goddesses have feet of clay, that they too suffer temptation and a measure of imperfection; it eases the burden of being human.
Offense, I have found, is far more often taken than given in this world. Each venture into a new narrative opens up new avenues into yourself. If you are reading these words after having taken your way through Santa Steps Out, I trust that the journey both enriched and entertained you. If beforehand (one of my vices, I must confess), may your upcoming trip be a safe and pleasant one, a turn-on and a treat.
And if my good-hearted reader finds aught in these pages tart to the taste, or bitter:
Think but this, and all is mended—
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
—Fort Collins, October 1997
About the Author
From his vantage point in northern Colorado, Robert Devereaux attempts to improve the world a tiny bit through the magic of fiction. His first two novels, Deadweight and Walking Wounded, were released in the Dell Abyss horror line (1994, 1996). Santa Steps Out: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, made its controversial appearance in two editions, a top-notch, acid-free, illustrated hardcover from Dark Highway Press (1998) and a mass-market paperback from Leisure Books (2000). Two years later, Leisure Books brought out Caliban and Other Tales, five previously published stories plus a retelling of The Tempest from Caliban's point of view. And from Five Star Press came A Flight of Storks and Angels, a look at the fantasy world of muses, invisible companions, and guardian angels suddenly made visible and audible. His latest is Slaughterhouse High: A Tale of Love and Sacrifice (2010) from Eraserhead Press. You can contact Robert on Facebook or at www.robertdevereaux.com.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Cupiditas Resurgens
Prologue: Cupiditas Resurgens
Part I. Betrayal
Chapter 1. Seduction in Three Acts
Chapter 2. Santa's First Lie
Chapter 3. Twenty Years of Secrecy
Part II. Discovery
Chapter 4. What the Easter Bunny Saw
Chapter 5. Mounting Frustrations
Chapter 6. Spilling the Beans
Part III. Consequences
Chapter 7. Anya Confronts Her Husband
Chapter 8. Vengeance and Lust
Chapter 9. Rachel All Grown Up
Chapter 10. Invitations Accepted
Part IV. Trying Times
Chapter 11. Modus Vivendi
Chapter 12. Blood and Passion
Chapter 13. The Tooth Fairy Takes Her Revenge
Part V. After the Storm
Chapter 14. A Time to Mourn
Chapter 15. A Time to Rejoice
Epilogue: Tooth and Claw
Epilogue: Tooth and Claw
Afterword: Making Light of Santa Claus
About the Author
Table of Contents
Prologue: Cupiditas Resurgens
Prologue: Cupiditas Resurgens
Part I. Betrayal
Chapter 1. Seduction in Three Acts
Chapter 2. Santa's First Lie
Chapter 3. Twenty Years of Secrecy
Part II. Discovery
Chapter 4. What the Easter Bunny Saw
Chapter 5. Mounting Frustrations
Chapter 6. Spilling the Beans
Part III. Consequences
Chapter 7. Anya Confronts Her Husband
Chapter 8. Vengeance and Lust
Chapter 9. Rachel All Grown Up
Chapter 10. Invitations Accepted
Part IV. Trying Times
Chapter 11. Modus Vivendi
Chapter 12. Blood and Passion
Chapter 13. The Tooth Fairy Takes Her Revenge
Part V. After the Storm
Chapter 14. A Time to Mourn
Chapter 15. A Time to Rejoice
Epilogue: Tooth and Claw
Epilogue: Tooth and Claw
Afterword: Making Light of Santa Claus
About the Author