Simmer,
a Dreamspinner Press Anthology
Pages:
310
Release date:
February 24, 2016
Details:
Anthology
Story received from author
The
blurb:
There’s no denying preparing and eating food
can be a sensuous experience and an experiment in pleasure. The men in these
stories are about to find out just how satisfying it can be. From spicy to
sweet and everything in between, things are heating up in the kitchen… and in
the diner, on the food court, over the Internet, and even at a breakfast booth
beyond the stars. Join them as they touch, taste, sample, and savor their way
to steamy romance and maybe even a happy ever after that will last long after the
dishes have been cleared.
The Cake by Ann Marie James
Former Marine and hard-working mechanic Kirk Smith can barely
boil water, but that won’t stop him from baking the cake his orphaned niece
wants for her birthday. When things go awry, it’s fellow single dad Eric
Hallahan to the rescue. Eric’s been waiting for an opportunity to get closer to
Kirk, so he’s happy to offer his help and see what they might mix up
together—in and out of the kitchen.
All Is
Well by Dale Cameron Lowry
When Kyle Pratt cooks a feast for his fellow
Mormon missionaries near Lake Migisiwauk in the Upper Midwest,
nineteen-year-old Tanner Jensen falls in love at first taste. But the church
teaches romantic love between men is wrong, and Tanner knows the only way to
get to the highest level of heaven is by marrying a faithful woman in a Mormon
temple. Tanner is forced to reconsider his beliefs as he gets to know Kyle
better and the two develop a deep connection based on their shared
spirituality. The two missionaries must navigate uncharted territory, figuring
out how to be true to both their faith and their love for one another.
Another
Saturn Monday by R.A. Thorn
Cabbage forms the basis of the Hirculian
cuisine, so when Interstellar Parking Authority employee Theo is forced to have
breakfast at a Hirculian stall in the Saturn space station food court, he knows
he’ll be having cabbage. But after one look at the stall’s shy but sexy
proprietor, Ekain, Theo thinks he should have started eating cabbage for
breakfast a long time ago.
Man of
Steel by Rob Rosen
Adventurous foodie Scott is intrigued by the new
Jewish diner that’s opened up in his neighborhood, and even more so by its chef
and proprietor, Morty. It turns out the food is uniquely delicious, but it’s
after hours in the kitchen when the heat really gets turned up.
Breakfast
at Timothy’s by T.J. Masters
Twenty-four-year old post-graduate geology
student Connor Wilson hopes to persuade his professor, the eminent geologist
Timothy Shaw, to become his academic advisor. Forty-six-year-old Dr. Shaw is a
legend in the field, although his personal life remains a mystery. Over a week
of early morning breakfast meetings at Timothy’s home in the village of
Grantchester, outside Cambridge, England, attraction simmers between the two
men and eventually boils over into steamy passion. Connor is seduced by the
food and charm of the very fit older man, and it looks like his dream could
come true—in better ways than he ever expected.
A Second
Season by Tali Segel
Back in high school, Chris knew Drew as the
gorgeous jock with a passion for food that matched his own. Years later, after
career changes and failed relationships, they reunite at Maple Creek B&B in
the snowy Berkshires, and the chemistry between them is stronger than ever.
Chris isn’t sure which is sexier: Drew’s
hiking-toned body or his love of authentic food made from fresh, local
ingredients. He’s ready to steam up the kitchen with a spicy fling, but Drew’s
past has left him questioning his love life and career. But an apple
cider-scented night might signal a new season for the two locavores.
Kneading
You by C.S. Poe
Christopher Hughes is new to a small town in New
Hampshire. He’s been hired to save a historical library from closing, but his
obstacles include not only fighting for state funding, but a Selectman who
wants to tear the building down. Christopher meets Miles Sakasai, a shy,
tattooed repairman who divides his time between fixing the library and baking
bread. Miles’s skills in the kitchen may end up being the key to saving the
library—if his bread can rise to the occasion.
If You
Give An Incubus a Cookie by Ki Brightly
Incubus Hal Scand leads a hard life, and the
only bright spot is the few minutes he steals at the Cookie Cart each day,
where he’s able to forget his problems before it’s back to banging for a buck.
Cookie stand owner Porter enjoys flirting with his mysterious regular, but he’s
ready for more. And with Valentine’s Day approaching, he has the perfect
opportunity to take his chance.
Moon
Cakes by T. Neilson
Connor started his YouTube nearly-naked cooking
show, Peas, Bitch as a joke. He never expected it to get so popular, and now
he’s quit his job and is low-level celebrity cheffing for a living.
The problem is, he doesn’t have time for a relationships
or a life, people aren't so keen on his show any more, and he's worried about
how he's going to get back into professional cooking after having spent the
last few years nearly naked in front of the whole Internet.
When he decides to meet a stranger for dinner at
the end of a long day, Connor doesn't expect much more than awkward
conversation and another failed date, but instead he comes face to face with
his single biggest problem and gets exactly what he needs to put the fun back
into the kitchen.
Tortilla
Pie by Rick R. Reed
When Anderson, homeless on the streets of
Seattle, first spies Josh, a volunteer kitchen worker at TeenCare, he falls for
him, despite TeenCare’s policy against interaction between staff and clients.
Josh doesn’t miss the way Anderson looks at him, and he can’t deny his
interest. Anderson and Josh bond over food, and especially the center's awesome
tortilla pie, but will they be able to find a way around the restrictions to
see if they’re hungry for more?
Taste of
the Forest, Dark and Sweet by Charles Payseur
Bastian's kitchen, normally his sanctuary, has
become anything but since Colin began working with him. There's just something…
distracting about the line chef that Bastian is drawn to but won't let himself
act on because he needs to concentrate on work. Then a series of disasters draw
Bastian into a magical world he never knew existed—a world Colin is part of. If
they can overcome the barriers between them, they might find the sweet taste of
success… and set the kitchen on fire in the process.
Operation
Wild Thumb by Tray Ellis
Zucchini and squash have sprouted at the home
Heath shares with his divorced sister, Sara, and are growing in abundance.
Never one to pass up the opportunity for a prank, Heath decides to leave the
vegetables on his neighbors’ doorsteps. One neighbor catches him in the act,
but luckily Alex seems as into the humor as he is into Heath. When the night
comes to an end, there might be more on the burner than zucchini pancakes.
And
Everything Nice by Ada Marie Soto
Computer
programmer Angelo is as good at baking as he is bad at talking to
people—especially guys he finds attractive, like Simon, the new tech writer at
work. Falling back on his habit of using his culinary creations as a
distraction, Angelo whips up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. But Simon
refuses to touch them. Frustrated but not ready to give up, Angelo searches for
the perfect recipe to tempt both Simon and his taste buds.
My thoughts on Breakfast at Timothy’s by T.J.
Masters
Breakfast at Timothy’s is an adorable story; there really is no other
way to put it. It was such fun watching Connor (never Con) trying to make sense
of Timothy (not Tim) and his breakfast invitations.
The first day Connor arrives at Professor
Timothy Shaw’s house for breakfast, all he wants to do is convince the man to
be his academic advisor. By the time he leaves again he can’t deny he is deeply
attracted to the man. Mixed messages and cryptic answers have Connor second
guessing both the professor and himself until suddenly there is no room for
doubt anymore.
Except that even when it seems that all the
pieces have slotted into place, there’s still room for a surprise for Connor
and the reader. And of course I have a weak spot for stories in which what you
(think you) see isn’t always what you end up getting.
I literally smiled my way through reading this
story. The banter between Connor and Timothy was both intelligent and fun, the
various breakfasts the professor prepared and served made my mouth water, the chemistry
between the two men was almost palatable not to mention hot, and Connor was a
charming and captivating narrator.
I would have loved to spend more time with
these two men. Not because I felt there was anything missing in this story, but
because I enjoyed my time with them and wouldn’t have minded a longer visit. I
can’t help feeling these two men have an interesting journey ahead of them.
On a side-note, I’ve decided that one day I
will be brave and prepare ‘Timothy’s
French Toast Americaine’ because if it tastes only half as good as it
reads, it will be an amazing eating experience. J
Now that I’ve read one of the stories in Simmer
I’m rather curious about the rest of them. Curious and also a little bit
worried. They say you should never go shopping while hungry; I think the same
may well apply here: Don’t read Simmer while hungry.
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