JUST RELEASED:

Tricky Serum:  An Elixir of Poems by Dan Stone

“Be the drink you pour, the potent sip that keeps the dream dreaming.” — D.S. 

As suggested by the title, this first collection of published poems addresses the tricky prospect of elixirs–the quest for the substance of our dreams, the magic potion for fulfilling what we hold to be our fondest and often most elusive desires. The poems are intended to read as a progression, a journey through the process of seeking, finding, and relinquishing our convictions about what we need or want–from an “other” and from ourselves—about waking up or not, from some of the reams we dream about the only life we can save.

“The elixir that is Stone’s poetry is sublime as it sends out shards of beauty.” — Reviews by Amos Lassen

Tricky Serum is available in paperback through all major distributors.  Electronic versions are also available.  Published by Lethe Press, 2011.

 
In a prim, dry county
it can take a long, long time
to pop the taboos like corks
from sealed, verboten bottles.
There were laws against elixirs,
bans on spirits that weren’t holy.
We boycotted altered states,
suffered fools but frowned on mixers.

If I’ve bloomed it happened late.
Intoxication is a process;
it takes more than a willing priest,
a taste of blood to chase the lamb.
Sometimes salvation needs a savior
with a devil’s bloodshot eyes.
Sometimes it takes a few more shots
to start a revolution.

Ascended masters know
that man can’t live by bread alone.
Marriages call for toasts,
for turning water into wine,
and most apostles would approve
the recommended daily dose
of rich-robed, mystical Merlot
or serendipitous Chardonnay.

Thank God all gods will have their day
that grapes will ripen on the vine.
The Lord, it seems, has seen the light,
one flute of truth—that tricky serum—
exorcises inhibitions, even as it heals the soul,
and re-writes years of prohibition
with a single, heady draft,
one simple salutation—
Cheers!

Read Reviews of Tricky Serum: An Elixir of Poems:

Out In Print

Reviews by Amos Lassen

2010 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST–

The Rest Of Our Lives:  A Novel

Colm McKenna has led a guarded life. Gifted with a wintry soul and a photographer’s eye, he can stop time as easily as he freezes water, or call down cold north winds.  He thinks he is alone and unique in the world. Then, seemingly by accident, he meets handsome writer Aidan Gallagher, his opposite, a young man who raises temperatures as easily as he quickens Colm’s heart.

In this lighthearted, gay romantic fantasy, can two male witches whose passion reincarnates century after century, find a way to express their love for each other again? Can this enchanting pair finally succeed after so many lifetimes?

“Fire and ice literally sizzle in this enticing page-turner that weaves past, present, and future into a story that proves love really does stand the test of time.”

– Suzanne Marie Calvin, Bewitching the Bachelor.

The Rest of Our Lives was born from my own lifelong love affair with romance and magic. In ways, I’m a typical Pisces dreamer, and the dream of an extraordinary, magical, enduring love is one I’ve been dreaming for as long as I can remember. As a gay man, I’m hungry for stories of love between men, particularly when they capture elements of my own experiences and dreams.  For details about the book, read my interview with the publisher, Steve Berman, in the inaugural issue of Icarus, a new magazine featuring the work of authors published by Lethe Press–or listen to my interview with Author and Creativity Coach Mark David Gerson on Blog Talk Radio.

The Rest of Our Lives is available through all major distributors.  Electronic editions (including for Kindle) available   Published by Lethe Press .

Read Reviews of The Rest of Our Lives

Wryter’s Reviews

Examiner

Report From Winter

Rainbow Reviews

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