Nelleke Reitsma is one of the world's top lutenists and guitar players. She is very good because she has had 350 years to practice. Sinfonia: First Notes on the Lute records her life, beginning with her entrance into the world of the undying through friendship with Izaak, a mysterious young man who only comes out at night; and, eventually, her crossing over into that world. Leaving her native Netherlands for England, she finds herself embroiled in a fight to save the vampire community of London from destruction. She encounters Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth, and, using her connections to...

A medieval priest decides he will shut down a house of ill repute. An actress playing a topless part on stage decides a little more nudity might enhance the production. A slave girl in ancient Persia crosses boundaries. A survivor from the destruction of Atlantis learns the intricacies of love in Celtic society. These are just a few of the stories this issue of Erotique explores. The erotic touches a multitude of themes and enters lives in so many ways throughout the flow of time, culture, and history.