Desire & Devour: Stories of Blood & Sweat

by Jeff Mann

Desire. The longing for the touch of men. The edge of hunger. The need for supplicants craving a sweaty embrace, a passionate tryst in the dark. Devour. To drink, to dispatch, to swallow. To quench one's unimaginable thirst. To leave an empty vessel behind as one walks away that night. More than a hundred and fifty years before Dracula ever touched English soil, Scottish Highlander Derek Maclaine (is that his last name?) became one of the undead to bring a terrible vengeance on those who had taken the man he loved. But revenge could not sate his appetites for sweat and blood through the years; an immortal learns to survive, to love again, as the lives of mortals are bright and brief flames that attract vampires like amorous moths. Award-winning author Jeff Mann has collected his erotic and powerful stories of Derek's unlife, adventures that travel centuries and the globe. Loosen your collar, bare your throat, sigh in expectation but do not forget to shiver as this burly and brawny stalker of men steps behind you, to brush his beard against your neck as his hands grasp you where you most need.

Genres: M M Romance, Erotica, Anthologies, Queer, Vampires, Gay Erotica, BDSM

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Jeff Mann’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many publications, including Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Laurel Review and The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. He has published three award-winning poetry chapbooks, Bliss, Mountain Fireflies, and Flint Shards from Sussex; two full-length books of poetry, Bones Washed with Wine and On the Tongue; a collection of personal essays, Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear; a book of poetry and memoir, Loving Mountains, Loving Men; and a short fiction volume, A History of Barbed Wire, which won a Lambda Literary Award. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Reviews

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

By now it's no secret that Jeff Mann should be crowned the king of eroticism that balances the knife edge between so many dichotomies; death and the erotic, violence and love, dominance and compassion, fear and arousal. The outright poetry of Mann's words somehow partners with topics that can be brutal or tender (or a heady mix of both) and leads the reader along without respite. I've tried - I've honestly tried - to read just a bit of a Jeff Mann novel or collection at a time in a vain attempt to make it last, but I never succeed. I tear through, cover to cover.

If you'll allow me the pun, I devoured this.

Derek Maclaine is the ancient Scottish vampire that Mann has introduced a few times over in various anthologies, magazines, and novellas - I discovered the character in "Black Sambuca" in the anthology Blood Sacraments. Derek is so unique and refreshingly so - a vampire, yes, but no suave and debonair European. Derek is a Scot, displaced now to rural Virginia, and unapologetic in his love of all things rural and pagan. His desire - mixed with the blood lust of his kind and his penchant for dominance and bondage - led the way through a darkly intriguing story. After I read "Black Sambuca" I ran to the internet, and found the rest of the Derek Maclaine tales and buying copies of each appearance of the character. It was quite the trek, and the end result was bouncing around in Derek's timeline somewhat, but I had no regrets.

Fastforward a bit, and this book appeared. There are two new tales for those of you who've been as completionist as I have. The first is the bulk of the collection, the 92-page novella "Derek and Angus," which tells of Derek's origin and the moment he was changed into a vampire, and the man for whom he made that choice. Set in 1717, "Derek and Angus" hums with Mann's poetic turn of phrase with language and the spoken word and the obvious love of wild naturalism. Angus is such a key part of Derek's character through all the other stories, and reading "Derek and Angus" was such a bittersweet ride - you know (if you've read the other tales) where this is going, but you can't help but watch. "Derek and Angus" is a novella of love and revenge told with depth and brutality - the sense of the time is so well evoked, and the reality the two men face in being together isn't skipped over. Wonderful!

The other new tale is "The Last Crumbs of Sacher Torte" and brings Derek to 1897 Austria and shows a more mature Derek now - one who has grown into his abilities and his penchant for ropes and ties, dominance and submission, and - of course - blood. This story, alongside "Saving Tobias," are the stories holding the most visceral reminders of what Derek is. This is a beast as much as a man, and though there is kindness in him, it is unwise to earn his ire.

As I've mentioned, I had read "Hemlock Lake," "Saving Tobias," "Whitby," "Wolf Moon/Hunger Moon" and "Black Sambuca" before, but I re-read them. "Hemlock Lake" reveals a Derek yearning for his losses, but starting to see the potential in the world the remains for him. "Saving Tobias" is perhaps the most brutal tale - Derek deciding to punish a man who has helped strengthen the intolerance in this rural part of the world - but even this story has such fluid eroticism to it. "Whitby" sees Derek's reach growing, and by "Wolf Moon/Hunger Moon" and "Black Sambuca" there's a real sense of history marching to the present. I enjoyed the progression they presented - Derek growing more mature, reaching the present from his origins, and coming to new places almost full-circle in the collection. Derek is a character who walks the centuries between tales, and does so with a believable growth and consistency - not an easy balance to strike.

But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Like I said, Jeff Mann seems to have those balancing acts down pat.

[A.B. Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy this guy can write. When a poet writes prose the difference is marked. I'm not a fan of shifters, shedders and suckers. Too often the genre is just used to circumvent the need to conform to contemporary rules and standards.

I also hate the vast majority of books written in the present tense. In some cases it suits stories dealing with young self centred heroes living in a world which revolves around them, but more often it seems pretentious. It's prevalent in fan fiction which is why I don't read much fan fiction. Often, just knowing a book has been written in present tense is enough to stop me buying it.

I hadn't read the blurb before reading this collection of stories and I was well into the first one before I realised I'd strayed not only into vampire territory but also was reading something in the present tense. Once again I honestly hadn't noticed.

Not know it was paranormal? Maybe the cover should have alerted me, but I'd already read some of Jeff's stories and knew he was into kinky leather sex. I figured, a bit of cutting might have been involved or maybe it was meant to be metaphorical. Lol.

The stories vary in length and are really stand alones with a common hero. If you're a fan of vampires, I'd definitely recommend it.

But more than that. If you're a fan of good writing. Writing that flows effortlessly and brings in enough lyrical description to lift the story above its peers then I'd also recommend this book. The editor in me kept marvelling at the way he constructs his sentences, but that feeling never lasted long as the content swept me up again and stopped me dwelling on the nuts and bolts and ensured I relaxed and enjoyed the overall effect.

If you want to know what the book is about, check out Nathan's review. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Ilhem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

There is nothing that is not dual in those 7 stories, no feeling, no character trait without its opposite, no situation that a gesture doesn't contradict...

It begins in the 18th century in Scotland where Derek Maclaine and Angus McCormick are two rough warriors tenderly in love.
It goes on throughout centuries whith Derek exploring his attraction to beefy, hairy men and his urge to control and subdue, lavishing his tender and brutal attention on mortals, reveling in his vampiric powers and never overcoming his feeling of loss.
It explodes in the last story, the magnificent Black Sambuca that comes to full circle and offers a promise of solace.

Something I can't really pinpoint kept me from completely giving in to the flow and most stories threw me off balance but I still liked Desire and Devour. It was as unsettling and beautiful as the duality it explores.

[Nile Princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different style from the Jeff Mann I'm used to, yet his voice comes through loud and clear (he does love his whisky, musky sex and man sweat lol). Vampirism is a new angle for him but while the story was interesting, it didn't keep me riveted as his other works have done.

Derek Maclaine is a Scottish son of a Lord whose inclinations, shall we say, do not run to women. Derek and his best friend Angus find themselves trapped in a major storm one night and are forced to spend the night in a barn. There, they finally act on their attraction to each other and it is a turning point in their lives, especially in the 1700s when sodomy was a crime punishable by death. It should be noted that the entire first half of the book is written in a Scottish dialect which I enjoyed, but some readers may find trying.

A major event halfway through the book sets Derek on a journey of discovery that takes him from his native Scotland to faraway America. The second half chronicles this journey and his loves throughout the years. The stories were interesting enough but, at first, the style led me to believe that they were individual short stories. They're not. The entire book is about Derek.

The ending was anti-climatic for me, as things failed to come full circle. There was someone who was waiting for Derek to 'live', experience and come into his own in the hopes that he would find his way back to him. It didn't happen and I wondered what the point was of mentioning it in the first place. Also, someone tells Derek he would have one other great love. I thought it would be the aforementioned man. So who was it?? Sigh.



I did enjoy the book, but I'm off to re-read Fog: A Novel of Desire and Reprisal so I can revel in its greatness.

[Lantentine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand that this is intended to be smut but there is a difference between "content that doesn't deserve to be published" and actual smut.

"Desire and Devour" reads like bad fanfiction. Features include:

- Completely unsympathetic, bland main character
- No character development whatsoever
- No structure or coherence to the plot.
- Presentation of rape as acceptable or justified in various situations.
- Any potentially hot scenes are almost immediately ruined by death / talk of death / sinking fangs into a penis.
- Boring, vanilla vampire powers.
- Deeply uncomfortable ending with vampire forcing impoverished boy into sexual slavery or else he dies.
- Shoehorning werewolves into the story for no real reason.
- "Interesting" (or at least marginally less dull) characters are introduced and then promptly forgotten.
- Sex descends into mindless BDSM-orientated bullshit.
- Constant references to "chest-pelt" and "meat/flesh" (when referring to penises).

Need I say more?

[Varian Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another beautifully written book by Jeff Mann. I loved the story, loved his take on vampires. It was wonderful seeing how all the stories flowed together.

[Zuska · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here's the thing: I am not much into vampire stories or BDSM, and I am not a leather bear, but once I read the first lines of the novella "Derek and Angus" that opens this collection, I couldn't put it down. Jeff Mann is a poet and this shows in the beautifully lyrical prose of these stories. He also has a degree in forestry and his deep understanding and love of the botanical world shines through every page. Many writers can give their readers a keen experience of the sights, sounds, even felt experiences of the world of their characters and this Mann delivers. But in addition, Mann's draugr has a superpowerful sense of smell (which he uses to track his prey) and so Mann is attentive throughout the telling of Derek Maclaine's adventures to the scents and aromas of his world. His ability to vividly render this aspect of sensation adds another level to the reader's experience. There are so many different ways to enjoy this work - for the beauty of the prose; for the way Mann plays with opposites, especially of light and dark; for the erotic sensory pleasures of food and scent and nature woven into each story; for the way it celebrates the love of men for men.

Here is a passage I especially liked from "Derek and Angus", where Angus's spirit comes back to speak to the now undead Derek, who has just contemplated allowing himself to be burned by the rising sun. Angus lovingly admonishes him:

"Daftie! Live for dreams like this. For the years of memories we made together. For starlight and moonlight and the life-bluid and loin-seed of comely men, for all yer sharpened senses can tak in. Most men are dull blades, rusting in corners; ye're newly honed, keen-sharp, and glittering! 'Tis not a gift to be thrown away. Ye promise me not to throw it away!"

A call to life and joy, a rebuke against those who would narrow and even snuff out the lives of men like Derek and Angus. The back of my copy of this book tells me that it may be classed as "Gay Erotica/Vampires" and this is so - but it is that and so much more.

[Jerry L. Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hearty volume of bloodlusty stories from Jeff Mann begins with “Derek & Angus,” which explores Maclaine’s roots and his love affair with Angus McCormick, the son of a crofter who works the land for his laird, Maclaine’s father. Their bond lasts some thirteen years, always broaching discovery, until one Beltane night when they are making love outside in the standing stones and are set upon by their archenemies, the Macdonalds. Angus is killed in the fracas, and Derek is mortally wounded. He is saved, however, by a Nordic vampire named Sigurd, who makes him one of the Immortals, enabling Derek to take his revenge on the men who murdered his lover. Mann ravishes these stories, giving each its own spin yet bringing it all back to Maclaine in the end—a fascinating character worthy of a longer, less fractured narrative. Mann clearly enjoys writing him, and he embodies the deep connection between Celts and the American South. Mann’s penchant for BDSM kink is also present, though rarely brought to the forefront. In short, if you’re a fan of his, this is one volume you’ll relish. Full review at: https://outinprintblog.wordpress.com/...

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I thought the writing was beautifully poetic and the sex was erotic and disturbing in equal measure, this book of vampire erotica left me feeling (ironically) a bit cold. I think this is due to the fact that, though the stories all follow one character over a long period of time, their focus purely on sex, with only hints to Derek's inner life and psychological makeup, means that there isn't much of a traditional "arc" to this book. Nor is there any kind of real introspection or understanding of him at the end, despite tantalizing hints of the character's past. Perhaps this is because it's a book of short stories collected as a novel, but taken together, they don't really form a cohesive whole. I came away spending a lot of time with Derek, yet he himself is a bit of a cipher, and not a very intriguing one. I found myself wanting to read about the adventures that Derek nonchalantly throws in as an aside, rather than the constant repetition of his sexual escapades. It's as if the author purposely avoided all the most interesting aspects of Derek's immortal life in order to focus on the sex. Which, again, wasn't bad, it just left me wanting.

[Elisa Rolle]

Jeff Mann isn’t shy in using a rough imaginary to set his stories, whereas they are in XIX century American frontier, or in XVIII century Scotland, but even amidst the blood and sweat, and tears, you can find the tenderness of two men loving each other.

Angus and Derek are like two halves of the same apple, they were brought up together, Derek the laird’s son, and Angus his second hand, his protector, the one who has to give up his life in case to protect Derek. And he will do. But not only for a born duty, but also cause Angus is deeply in love with Derek and they call each other such, “lover”. The same night Angus is killed, Derek is turned into a vampire, in a ceremony that mixes love and death, sex and rape; yes, it’s rape, even if Derek will enjoy the act, he clearly didn’t want it, he was still mourning the loss of his half soul. That is the tenderness amidst the violence, a Derek in search of vengeance who is asking his sire to not have sex with him, cause, yes, he is in mourn, and he needs the time to heal.

The first story, the making of Derek, is probably the longer, taking half the book; after that we follow Derek in the centuries to come, up until modern time, with Derek paired with an husbear, Matt; not being familiar with the bear culture, it was the first time I “met” a bear bottom: it’s not really a term to describe their preferred sexual position, cause, as Derek said, they switch sometime, but it’s more to describe Matt’s playful attitude, something that remains with him way longer his young age, cause, in the end, Matt is more than 40, but nevertheless, still a bear bottom.

I didn’t really understand the decision of Derek to not turn Matt, they seem happy together. What I can think is that, deep down, Derek is still in love with Angus, a man that was totally opposite to Matt, in a way, Matt is to Derek, what Derek was to Angus, and so Derek needs someone different than Matt, someone who can be to him what Angus was. Still, deep down, I’m hoping he will change mind.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1590213939/?...

[A.B. Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Kind of Sucker Story Boy this guy can write. When a poet writes prose the difference is marked. I'm not a fan of shifters, shedders and suckers. Too often the genre is just used to circumvent the need to conform to contemporary rules and standards.I also hate the vast majority of books written in the present tense. In some cases it suits stories dealing with young self centred heroes living in a world which revolves around them, but more often it seems pretentious. It's prevalent in fan fiction which is why I don't read much fan fiction. Often, just knowing a book has been written in present tense is enough to stop me buying it.I hadn't read the blurb before reading this collection of stories and I was well into the first one before I realised I'd strayed not only into vampire territory but also was reading something in the present tense. Once again I honestly hadn't noticed.Not know it was paranormal? Maybe the cover should have alerted me, but I'd already read some of Jeff's stories and knew he was into kinky leather sex. I figured, a bit of cutting might have been involved or maybe it was meant to be metaphorical. Lol.The stories vary in length and are really stand alones with a common hero. If you're a fan of vampires, I'd definitely recommend it.But more than that. If you're a fan of good writing. Writing that flows effortlessly and brings in enough lyrical description to lift the story above its peers then I'd also recommend this book. The editor in me kept marvelling at the way he constructs his sentences, but that feeling never lasted long as the content swept me up again and stopped me dwelling on the nuts and bolts and ensured I relaxed and enjoyed the overall effect.If you want to know what the book is about, check out Nathan's review. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...