Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Cougar Book - An Excerpt From Donna George Storey's COMFORT FOOD

The Flavors of Pleasure

By Donna George Storey

I didn’t fall in love with my husband just for his literary last name, but I have always want to be a writer ever since I can remember. I finally followed my dream when my first son was born, and I started writing short stories during his naps. Thirteen years later, I’m still writing and loving every minute of it.

My true passions in fiction are a sexy love story and a celebration of good food—which can be almost as delicious in prose as on the table. In my erotic novel, Amorous Woman, which is based on my own experiences living in Japan, I linger as lovingly over the amazing meals I enjoyed there as I do over the amorous encounters. Likewise my story in The Cougar Book, “Comfort Food,” also explores how the art of cooking can nourish, heal and create a delectable connection between a woman “of a certain age” and a handsome young chef.

To me the appreciation of pleasure is more than hedonism. It’s a way to open ourselves to the beauty and poetry of the world. That’s what I try to do in my stories and in my kitchen. Bon Appetit!


Website http://www.donnageorgestorey.com/
Blog http://sexfoodandwriting.donnageorgestorey.com/
Book Trailer--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlnXqY-LyEE


Excerpt from “Comfort Food” in The Cougar Book

As soon as I got back to my room, I tore open the bag and ripped into the paper box inside. The waitress—or Joseph—had thoughtfully included a napkin and a plastic spoon, but like some wild beast, I pinched off a chunk of the rice pudding with my fingers and jammed it into my mouth.

The moan that escaped from my lips made me glad I’d retreated to my private lair. It was, quite simply, the most delicious rice pudding I’d ever eaten in my life. The texture was mousse-like, rich with cream but airy as a cloud. I tasted a kiss of rum, a heartier vanilla than the day before. Mexican perhaps? I’d only gotten a mere ribbon of sauce in my first mouthful but it did indeed taste like the essence of summer sunshine.

Joseph might be a recipe-hoarder and an incorrigible flirt, but when it came to pudding, the guy was a genius.

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An excerpt from Amorous Woman: Amorous Woman Link-- ISBN: 1905619170

“And so I told him how living in Japan would give him a leisure no mere tourist has, to know the rhythms of the place, a land of tiny poems. In autumn, he’d see the persimmons glowing like huge, orange jewels on their bare branches, then winter’s dusting of snow on blue tile roofs. He’d learn why the old erotic pictures are called “spring prints” — because in that season the air is as soft as a lover’s whisper––and he’d sigh at the perfect coolness of iced barley tea slipping down his throat on a wilting summer afternoon. As the year passed, he would become part of it. The neighbors would stop staring and start to nod a greeting, and one day the tiny old lady in the gray kimono at the snack stand would wrap up his regular order of red-bean-and-rice balls before a word was spoken, and she’d flash him that first gold-toothed smile, and he’d be happy all day. ‘It’s like someone’s given you a whole other life, I told him, an extra life, to live for a while.’”

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WIN - Six different authors will stop by this week with excerpts from their stories to give you a taste of the different genres covered in this one hot anthology! One reader who leaves a comment on each of this week's posts (March 8th - March 14), will win an autographed copy of THE COUGAR BOOK!!! Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!!

17 comments:

  1. Welcome to the Tiki Hut Donna!!

    Loved both of your excerpts...how beautifully written.

    Enjoy your time here at the Tiki Hut, relax and party with the natives today!

    Readers - if you'd like a chance to win an autographed copy of Donna's AMOROUS WOMAN, head over to AuthorIsland.com because it's today's Book of the Day!!

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  2. It's a pleasure to be here. If you don't mind, I'll lounge right here with my Singapore Sling and take in the Pacific breezes!

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  3. I'm now totally craving rice pudding...*giggle*
    Looking forward to reading this book :)

    Happy Reading
    Anna
    s7anna@yahoo.ca

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  4. Oh you guys are making me think of summer and now that we can actually see some grass under the blanket of snow that covered us for months, it's a welcome thought!

    Donna, I loved both of your excerpts and am now off to check out your website. Best of luck with the anthology and your other book as well. They are certainly both going on my to check out list!

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  5. Your description of rice pudding is mouth watering. It has me totally intrigued for your book and it's now on my wishlist.

    joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

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  6. The rice pudding I've had before was not as delectable as the one in your story. I definitely envy you taking in the Pacific breezes. I loved both the excerpts.

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  7. "It’s a way to open ourselves to the beauty and poetry of the world."

    Brilliant, Donna!

    I love this entry because "Comfort Food" is one of my favorite stories by Donna I have ever read (and I have consistently loved her work), and Amorous Woman landed promptly upon my list of favorite novels (along with The Age of Innocence, The Secret Life of Bees, Les Miserables, and The Great Gatsby) when I finished it after it came out in 2008. I highly, highly recommend it!

    Thanks for sharing these beautiful excerpts and the lovely background for "Comfort Food," Donna!

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  8. This is a yummy story. Seriously. My husband panted over it and ran upstairs yelling - You have to read this!

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  9. Loved the excerpts.
    I love rice pudding!

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  10. Thank you so much, everyone. Rice pudding is my favorite comfort food ever. If you'd like to have my recipe for a truly fabulous, creamy mousse rice pudding, just email me at donna at donnageorgestorey dot com. (The recipe won me a "good cook's award" from Sunset magazine.

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  11. Loved the excerpt. Comfort Food has gotten me through some tough times.

    marypres@gmail.com

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  12. Ah, Singapore Sling! That brings back memories; my mother drank those all the time!

    I look forward in reading your works.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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  13. My true passions in fiction are a sexy love story and a celebration of good food—which can be almost as delicious in prose as on the table.

    That's the stuff. This mindset shows up in your richly sensual stories. This is especially true of Amorous Woman which I read twice!

    Oh, and Emerald beat me to that other quote I was going to bring up, but just let me say I knew you were a poet! ;-)

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  14. I was going to cite the line Emerald, quoted, too! LOL--the profundity-quoting train moves fast on this island!

    Brava, Donna! I think I may start calling you "Bravadonna." : )

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  15. Very much enjoyed both excerts. This post reminds me of the scene in Tom Jones...yes, food can be very sensual and I love how you use it in your work.

    How can I not add this collection to my wish list!

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  16. I enjoyed the excerpts and I can't wait to read this series. Everything I have read so far is just awesome! Thanks for sharing.

    graham4302 at bellsouth.net

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