Dive into 'A Foursome plus Poems', where the lines between pleasure and peril blur in a tantalizing dance. This collection isn't just stories. The poetry included takes an unapologetic plunge into the depths of gay fantasy, dripping with eroticism and shadowed by the macabre. These narratives are a feast for the senses, where the ordinary morphs into comedic darkness. Every crunch of a crab whispers untold stories of passion. Where was that banana before it wound up in the pudding? Are cucumbers just for salad? As you traverse these pages, expect to be both charmed and unsettled, your fantasies entwined with a thread of darkness. You'll find yourself ensnared in their allure. Each story in this collection is a foray into the depths of fantasy, where the mundane becomes steamy, and every page turns with anticipation. Excerpt: Banana PuddingI peered through the window after the doorbell gonged and wondered why my gentleman caller was wearing a yellow raincoat. The sky was brilliantly blue, and the sun shined so hard the flowers in my neighbor's yard looked like plastic pinwheels. Reluctantly, I opened the door."I hadn't heard the weatherman say anything about rain today. I said looking him up and down."He stood tall but bent a little at the waist. He looked at me through dark eyes that appeared like bruises in the middle of his smooth face. He hesitated as if contemplating running away. A blue bandana with the words "Chiquita Rocks" fit tight on his head. I smiled a smile that matched the sun and the yellow suit. My visitor relaxed, stamped his black boot on the welcome mat, and hopped across the threshold on one foot."This ain't no raincoat. It's a yellow summer coat. I like yellow.""I see you do. It's a great color for a warm day.""It's a great color period. You should see my friends hanging out at the grocers all green acting like young boys. They didn't believe the tree. The tree said we wouldn't be green long. The tree didn't lie. I'm a man already." Originally Published in 2012 Revised December 2023. Poetry added Charles W. Harvey is a native Houstonian and a graduate of the University of Houston. At UofH he studied fiction under the guidance of Rosellen Brown and Chitra Divakaruni. In 1987, Charles was a 1st place prize recipient of PEN/Discovery for his short story Cheeseburger, which went on to be published in the Ontario Review. In 1989 Charles Harvey was awarded the Cultural Arts Council of Houston Grant for Writers and Artists. Also in 1989 he was a finalist in the MacDonald's Literary Achievement Awards. Charles has been published in Soulfires, Story Magazine SHADE, High Infidelity, The James White Review, and others. He is the author of the novels The Butterfly Killer, The Road to Astroworld, and Antoine's Double Trouble. He is also the author of several story and poetry collections. He also writes for the stage and screen.
