I Love You, Nora Whispered
Love in the time of horses and polio. England, 1948. Nora Lakes suffers from post polio syndrome and very low self-esteem. She has spent her entire life in the chaos of her huge family, always feeling less than and without any future dreams. When her sister Martha manages to get her a job at Waterhouse Acre Stables, she can hardly believe it. She had never imagined that anyone would have employed her, damaged as she is. She also never imagined she would meet anybody like Katherine.Katherine Waterhouse was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She has a mean streak and doesn't like people in general. What she does like, is horses. She wants to be a professional rider but growing up in a conservative house where her choices are limited by her sex, Katherine has always been trapped in her role as a woman. Nora and Katherine - two women with very different backgrounds, drawn to each other with an intensity neither of them are prepared for. Do they stand a chance?
Death by Misadventure
Thomas Kearnes, Lambda-nominated author of Texas Crude, returns with a story collection that's even darker, more controversial, and more unforgettable. An aging gay man finds a way to remain forever young on hookup sites, but his real face pays a terrible price. A sexual fetish takes an ominous turn from boyhood to adulthood. A meth-addicted middle-aged man hangs on to life and sanity in order to receive visits from his long-dead mother. And a desperate man kidnaps his terminally-ill romantic rival in hopes of receiving an atonement he may not deserve.Thomas Kearnes, with over 125 published stories to his credit, has established himself as one of the most divisive and prolific short story authors in indie publishing. In Death by Misadventure, he introduces the reader to indelible characters in shocking situations through seventeen stories that first appeared in venues as diverse as Berkeley Fiction Review, Black Dandy, Pseudopod, TIMBER, Word Riot and more. Prepare to have your worst nightmares come to life.
Velocity
When Holly Crowe, an outsider in Dennamore, learns of the extraordinary discovery of alien artifacts, she stuns the inner circle of the space mission set out to unlock their mysteries by claiming she is meant to be their captain. Claire Gordon lives for fixing cars in her father's workshop, hiking the Adirondacks, and reading science fiction, but it's not enough. Desperate to find meaning in her life, Claire stumbles upon the secret space mission and may have finally found her purpose. As Holly and Claire work toward an uncertain future, only one thing is for certain--they will have to risk their lives and their hearts to discover the truth.
Prisoner Of The Golden Hour (Pride Edition)
Todd's curiosity leads him to befriending an openly Gay man on a dating app. Through a struggle of sexual self discovery, Todd must find himself while living a double life. With many emotional obstacles that take place, the two decide to meet for the first time at a music festival. As the weekend progresses, more secrets of Todd's life start to be revealed that his identity is not what it seems.
Hersband Material 2
After getting sentenced for a crime of passion she did commit, Mystro Mason finds herself in the Washington Alley Prison for Women. Desiring nothing more than to be left alone, she runs into Constance "Bruiser" Patterson, a jealous career felon with nothing but hate in her heart and time to annoy her.After a Chance meeting in the visiting hall, Mystro finds herself being forced to defend her honor. Before long, as she's so blind with revenge, her whole world spirals out of control and she brings Baby Dom along for the ride.Unfortunately for Mystro, doing time becomes the least of her troubles.Hersband Material 2 punches the heart with all the things that you loved about the original and so much more.
Changes Coming Down
For three gay men in love, opening the closet door could be a risky move. Sheriff Casey Barlow has a slick, media-savvy challenger out to beat him in the upcoming election. Casey's damned good at his job, but he hasn't kissed the right asses, and early polls suggest voters like his opponent's style. Coming out now, let alone revealing his relationship with two men, could sink any hope of keeping his badge. Scott Edison has a real shot at the NHL. He's playing the best hockey of his life. Whenever he can, he travels home to his gruff sheriff and their laid-back cowboy, but there are no out gay players in the NHL. As a rookie working his ass off to be called up, he can't afford to make waves. Will Rice always figured he'd live alone, managing Graham and Annmarie Slater's cattle ranch, but a hot, young hockey player and a compact, muscled lawman rearranged his plans. Even though he's older and lanky and ordinary, he's been sharing their lives and their beds. He doesn't need to be out- isn't sure he ever wants the Slaters to know about him. Life's good the way things are. Then Graham and Annmarie are killed in a hit and run that may not be an accident. As Will grieves, and Casey investigates, the coming changes will shake all their lives. ** this is a re-edit and expansion of the story in the "Hunting Under Covers" anthology
Show Off
From casual hook up ... to something more?Burlesque dancer Charlie Kent should be happy performing and hooking up with sexy people now the pandemic is over, just like before. Instead it feels empty. The audience is always missing Elle, her friend-with-benefits. They were just casual, but Charlie now realises she wants more. Much more. When Elle arrives at the Seraph's Burlesque Club for business only, Charlie is not going to let this second chance go to waste. Elle's interior design business has boomed since the pandemic with so much work she's barely thought of the sexy-as-sin burlesque dancer who she used to hook up with... Except when she's lonely all night. But she can't be just friends anymore, so she stays away. When she is commissioned to refit Seraph's Burlesque Club, Elle bumps into Charlie, and all her best intentions go out of the perfectly dressed window. Elle must keep her professional reputation intact, and can't allow her attraction to Charlie to derail her work and her need for love. . . Unless she can have it all? - friends with benefits to lovers - second chances
Circle of Fifths
Lennie is a piano prodigy raised in a Pennsylvania household where polka music is the norm. She plays classical music and wonders about God and why nuns are so mean and why her father doesn't talk to her. When her childhood comes to an abrupt end, her music becomes a refuge, the only place where she feels safe. Lennie hides behind Mozart, Chopin, and her hero, Leonard Bernstein. She navigates her own heart as she pours her secrets into her music. Circle of Fifths is a coming of age story of a child who must grow up too fast but who never loses faith in herself or in the power of love and friendship. Lennie's triumph in the world of music is the triumph of a young woman whose life is saved by music.
Despite Chaos
Alexandra Castle hides the brightest part of herself. As the heir-apparent to the Castle Resort empire, her only fault--according to her controlling father--is that she's gay. Keeping her sexuality hidden seems a small price to pay for upholding the family image. When Alex's father pits her against her twin brother in a high-stakes competition to choose who will take over the company upon his retirement, Alex knows she's got what it takes to win. Until an ex-lover reappears and threatens to destroy her life. Tyler Falling hides the darkest part of herself. On the surface, she's a put-together middle-class wife and mother. In reality, she's broken from a sexual assault twelve years earlier. When Tyler unexpectedly comes face-to-face with her rapist, a deep family secret surfaces and jeopardizes the life she's created. With both their worlds crumbling, Alex and Tyler escape to Napa where a brief, anonymous encounter sparks a mutual infatuation, changing the trajectory of their lives. Living a lie is no longer an option, but can an improbable romance bloom amid embezzlement, blackmail, and self-exploration? Content note: the book contains one brief description of a sexual assault. Book One in the Falling Castles Series.
Made Marian Mixtape
The best mixtape always has a mix of favorites on it- songs playing in the background at Jude and Derek's wedding or when Simone finally falls in love. Loud beats pounding the dance floor when Blue tries to seduce Tristan in public, or sleepy notes written late at night while Jude is on tour. Strains of familiar music bring heart-gripping memories rushing back in-memories of the first time Tilly meets Senator Cannon, the weekend a mysterious new family member arrives at a snowy cabin expecting solitude but finding a sexy lumberjack instead, or the winter Teddy "accidentally" strands Jamie in Tibet.Made Marian Mixtape is a collection of everything from a short 1k word vignette to a longer 30k novella. Catch glimpses into the lives of favorite existing Marian characters and meet new ones as well. With everything from hot nookie in a broken elevator to double-doses of pre-wedding panic, Mixtape presents over ten new stories set in the Made Marian world that will make you sniffle, swoon, and laugh out loud.Made Marian Mixtape is 72k words in length and best enjoyed by readers familiar with the Marian world.Early praise for this collection: "Slam this bad boy into your tape deck. Hngh. Harder." - Leonard Skynard (Lynard's very, very distant cousin)"OMG all the feels." - Boomers trying to be Millennials"For god's sake, fast forward to the good stuff." - Matilda Marian"Maybe remove that shower scene? Ahem." - Maverick Marian"But we really wanted to wear the tuxedos." - Springsteen and Patsy Cline (the pugs, not the singers)
The Rival's Concord
Raine has always been more of a warrior than a diplomat, but now she must use all of her charisma to bring the rivals of Arianthem together. Her close bonds with the all-female race of the Ha'kan ensure that alliance, but negotiations with the Empire go poorly until they receive an unexpected boost from a sultry ally. The reserved elven leader of the Alfar hints to Raine of cooperation, yet also hints that sexual conquest might be her price. Events seem to sabotage the alliance as the Alfar leader kidnaps an imperial, the daughter of the wealthiest landholder in Arianthem. Raine is baffled by the strange actions of the elven noblewoman, actions that bring the entire land to the brink of war. The concord truly unravels when Skye, the young leader of the Tavinter, manifests magical abilities and unintentionally attracts monumental evil. Raine's only hope is that her dragon lover will return from the Empty Land before all is lost and the evil that stalks Skye comes for her.
Sloppy
Classic preacher's kid, Roxanne felt like the oddball in her environment. By age 22, she found herself compromising and settling in various avenues of her life- including love. Repetitive and wishy-washy, will Roxanne be brave enough to end her relationship with a man who ails her? Will she take the path towards her purpose no matter how sloppy it looks? Or will she allow the world and her family to dictate right and wrong?
The Park Bench
Lennie and Dan have been together five years - five years of love and trouble. But they split up, and Lennie begins to trawl the parks, the streets, the night.'...von Dousa writes beautifully ... with the cold water clarity of the unillusioned, unhurriedly and well.' - WH Chong, Australian Book Review'...consistently edgy and evocative, and surprisingly poignant ... a bold and uncompromising take on a subject that gets little fictional attention.' - Cameron Woodhead, The Age'...sassy, mournful, yearning and clear-eyed ... profound shared human moments ... inescapable in its contradictions.' - Joan Nestle, Traffic, Quotidian Queer'a powerful, bittersweet paean to that 'shrouded community of strangers' ... a brutally honest ... compassionate work ... passages of sheer beauty and painful truth.' - Ian Purcell
Far from Home
Far from Home is a collection of twelve short stories, taking the reader on a journey from the desert sands of the Middle East to a forbidden Caribbean island, and many points in between.Though two of the stories are set in the U.S., others find gay people dealing with gayness in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Spain, Turkey, Cuba, Mexico, and the Netherlands, places where the characters are physically and psychologically far from the comfort of home. Most of the stories focus on Gay men suffering alienation, confusion, violence, and loss in the eternal search for love while they travel or live in other cultures.The overall focus is on LGBTQ people as they venture out into the world.
The Park Bench
Lennie and Dan have been together five years - five years of love and trouble. But they split up, and Lennie begins to trawl the parks, the streets, the night.'...von Dousa writes beautifully ... with the cold water clarity of the unillusioned, unhurriedly and well.' - WH Chong, Australian Book Review'...consistently edgy and evocative, and surprisingly poignant ... a bold and uncompromising take on a subject that gets little fictional attention.' - Cameron Woodhead, The Age'...sassy, mournful, yearning and clear-eyed ... profound shared human moments ... inescapable in its contradictions.' - Joan Nestle, Traffic, Quotidian Queer'a powerful, bittersweet paean to that 'shrouded community of strangers' ... a brutally honest ... compassionate work ... passages of sheer beauty and painful truth.' - Ian Purcell
Welcome Home, Captain Harding
Returning to California after eighteen terrifying months in Vietnam, Captain Joe Harding is assigned a trio of duties: assisting his fatherly former commander at base operations, spying on misbehaving bomber pilots and organizing an air show designed to counter the anti-war fever sweeping the state. Meanwhile, his much younger tennis partner has enrolled at Cal Berkeley, enmeshed himself in pacifist politics and resumed his role as Joe's lover. When a playmate from Wheelus, a one-time fighter pilot now flying for TWA, shows up at Joe's house in Merced, the three men must navigate the joys and difficulties inherent in creating their own sort of ''welcome home.'' Continuing the adventures and misadventures begun in Elliott Mackle's acclaimed Captain Harding series Joe and his fellow officers and men are up against a hot-dogging, risk-taking aircraft commander, a pair of drug-abusing co-pilots and a married administrator with a taste for sexual blackmail. When a Broadway show causes a death in the family, a test flight goes terribly wrong and Joe's honor and patriotism are questioned, he must fight to clear his name and rebuild his imperiled career. Significant erotic content and salty language.
The Midnight Man
If you met your dream lover, would you ever stay awake?Stanley is almost fifty. He hates his job, has an overbearing mother, and is in a failed relationship. Then he meets Asher, the man of his dreams, literally in his dreams.Asher is young, captivating, and confident about his future-everything Stanley is not. So, Asher gives Stan a gift. The chance to be an extra five years younger each time they meet.Some of their adventures are whimsical. A few are challenging. Others are totally surreal. All are designed to bring Stan closer to the moment his joyful childhood turned to tears.But when they fall in love, Stan knows he can't live in Asher's dreamworld. Yet he is haunted by Asher's invitation to "slip into eternal sleep."
Snowcroft Lost
Secrets and Lies...Everyone has them. Big ones. Little ones.For Trevor Mayne and Jamie Vaughn, secrets and lies are how they've made their fourteen year friendship work. Don't talk about it. Ignore it and it won't be real. Pretend like everything's fine between the two of them.Jamie can't live like this anymore. He's in love with Trevor, his best friend who just happens to be straight. Tired of hiding his feelings, he decides to walk away. From their friendship. From his hometown. From his business.But before Jamie gets a chance to leave, a freak accident leaves Trevor with amnesia. A new blank perspective leaves him confused about the inconsistencies of what he's told his life should be vs. the feelings that he knows he has. Now those secrets and lies, that should be safer than ever, are suddenly front and center and changing everything between them.Their world is at risk because their secrets and lies aren't the only ones at play here. There's a bigger lie out there and it could just destroy everything as they get closer and closer to the secret hidden in depths of the Snowcroft forest.
Bluebird At My Window
When faced with trauma, how would you react?Would you survive, succumb, or lose yourself to your own meaning of justice?Ann was only seventeen when she died. She tried to be a dutiful daughter, to pray, to repent. But it wasn't enough. Her mother, Diane, didn't mean to kill her but when she found Ann consorting with devils, she had no choice. She believed the angels-that in the end, the water would save them both.But every choice holds weight.One death, and Arthur is thrown back into the work he wanted to leave. One death, and Richard must face the reality of his choices. One death, and Maddie and Marie are confronted with the hardest parts of love.If only good intentions were enough to keep them from the carnage of their own decisions . . .A dark contemporary fiction drenched in blood, this debut novel from H. Noah has an intricate true crime feeling with psychological depth.Content WarningThe following book centers around processing trauma. Please be aware that it will touch upon such topics as violence, sexual assault (not overly descriptive), racism, microaggressions, misogyny, incest, and homophobia. This book also focuses on mental health and will cover depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal ideation, hearing voices, religious fixations, delusions, self-harm, and drug abuse. This book is dark due to the topics covered. This is not a horror or thriller meant to scare you. Please be kind to yourself and put the book back if you are not in a good place to read any of the things mentioned above.
The Moon Resides in Her Heart
Sapphic Haikus (LGBTQ poetry) In which some people are too pretty not to write about; sometimes they just have moons residing in their hearts.
Brother Keeper
Howie Jackson rushes from Detroit to Washington, D.C., when his brother Hank is hospitalized with pneumonia. He must cope with Hank's illness along with facing his own prejudices. The following summer he becomes part of his brother's mostly gay community, as he cares for Hank and tries to re-establish an almost broken closeness with his twin. This little story has a freshness and immediacy due to being told in the first person, present tense, and vividly evokes an era before mobile phones, when AIDS was still a fatal illness.
The Edge of Awnawas
A far-future earth shaped by interstellar genocide is unrecognizable from the planet we know today. Human inhabitants are limited to one continent, a neopangea, much of which is ravaged by an inhospitable desert known as The Feverlands. This is not the world Yenit knows, though. A self-conscious androgyne, Yenit lives their life in relative privilege compared to those outside of the walled megapolis of Awnawas. They are just trying to stay low and keep to themself, until the fateful morning when they find a strange body limp outside the wall. She is mechanical and alien, but she is a woman in her own way. Through her, we learn about the turmoil outside, and even inside the wall. The Edge of Awnawas is a story about love and what it means to love outside of cis-heteronormative structure. It is a story about how society shapes our identities and our ways of thinking. It's about how we view ourselves, free or chained. The Edge of Awnawas is a short exploration of what queer science fiction can truly be.
The Sisterhood
When Charity Bellingham visits London for the Season, she has no idea what adventures lie ahead. But a chance meeting with the beautiful Isobelle Greenaway will have long term consequences as Charity discovers things about London society, about slavery, and most of all about herself. But it's the introduction to The Sisterhood--a secret society of ladies--that will impact and change her life forever. Penelope Friday's romantic tale of women and life in early 19th century London is one that readers won't want to miss.
Nine-tenths of the Law
"I believe you have something of mine, Zach." The stranger's accusation throws Zach Owens for a loop. He's never seen this man in his life, and he's not prepared when he finds out what they have in common-their boyfriend, Jake. Make that ex-boyfriend. With the jerk out of the picture, Zach hurries after the stranger to apologize... which quickly leads to some sizzling hot revenge sex.Despite starting on the wrong foot, Nathan Forrester can't get enough of the sexy movie theater owner. Still, he's jaded and distrustful-especially when Jake keeps materializing in Zach's presence despite Zach insisting that relationship is over. With a devious ex-boyfriend trying to sabotage their fledgling relationship, Zach and Nathan need to learn to trust each other, or they'll both wind up with nothing. This book was previously published, and has been revised to include an extended ending.
Drama Castle
Theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza is directing a historical film at a castle in Scotland, co-starring his spouse, theatre professor Noah Oliver, and their son Taavi. When historical accuracy disappears along with hunky men in kilts, Nicky and Noah will once again need to use their drama skills to figure out who is pitching residents of Conall Castle off the drawbridge and into the moat, before Nicky and Noah land in the dungeon. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino's fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining seventh novel in this delightful series. Take your seats. The curtain is going up on steep cliffs, ancient turrets, stormy seas, misty moors, manly men, malfunctioning kilts, and murder!
The Therapist Secret
Physical Therapist, Veronica Hawthorne isn't satisfied with her marriage to Roger, a military soldier. Veronica has recently discovered Roger's past time, and it's putting a strain on their marriage. While Roger was deployed, he met someone as well as Veronica. Will they fall into temptation and dishonor their marital vows? Will their marriage survive the deployment? Find out more in part two of the D.L. Series.
Bruce K Beck's Holiday Novella Series Box Set
If a lot can happen in a New York minute, imagine a New York year! Readers can now join the heroes and heroines (plus a few villains) of all four stories in the Holiday Novella Series, starting with Christmas and coming full circle to Thanksgiving and beyond. Each book has its own narrator, and yet the rich tapestry of interwoven lives unites the four stories.New York City is one of the main characters in all four books. In A BUCKSKIN CHRISTMAS, readers meet editor Dan Blackwell, who falls in love with his client, Montana writer Caleb Bromley. Readers also meet Dan's best friend, fashion expert Letisha Carmichael, and other juicy characters at GLITZ Magazine. And Dan's parents, Elaine and Richard Blackwell. Book Two, MY EASTER MIRACLE, is told by photographer Ken Garda, who is hired by GLITZ to shoot Dan and Caleb's splashy wedding in Montana. Book Three, INDEPENDENCE DAZE, is narrated by Jerry Darnley, who is a serious collector of fine art-especially photos by Ken Garda. Ken's gallerist, Tim Hart, narrates Book Four, GIVING THANKS. Tim, like Ken and Jerry, is nursing a broken heart and wondering about the possibility of a bright future which includes new love.By the time they meet for Thanksgiving dinner at the Blackwells' country house in New Jersey, there is gratitude flowing all around. Readers fall in love with the whole crew as they navigate their way through life and relationships, career and commitment. And lots of steamy sex, of course. All four books are about healing from the wounds of the past in order to move forward. And most of all, they're about the redemptive power of love.
Twilight Manor in Palm Springs, God's Waiting Room
A Hilarious Romp Through Retirement!Why do gay men retire to Palm Springs? Because it's a great place to live and a fabulous place to die. When Brian and St矇phane retired and moved to Palm Springs, California, they never expected their lives to be turned upside down. They expected a quiet, peaceful retirement. But God had other plans. Instead of sunny days lounging by the pool, the aging couple discovered glory holes, nonagenarian cross-dressing neighbors, a lost pussy, an S&M-themed Thai restaurant, owl-collecting lesbians, nuns, a sad-looking anal chrysanthemum, Carol Channing, murder, and annoying mallards ... mostly annoying mallards. Twilight Manors in Palm Springs, God's Waiting Room, is a hysterical, laugh-out-loud romp. It follows the adventures of Brian, St矇phane, their friends and neighbors through a series of bizarre events that could only happen in Palm Springs, God's Waiting Room.
Kyn
In a near post-dystopian future, an immortal assassin fights to defend civilization's last city from the encroaching threat of mysterious invaders - all while struggling to protect those he loves from the twisted machinations of those he was bred to serve. Action-packed and dripping with slick style, KYN is a queer, hopepunk anthem set in a post-dystopian world of blazing colour and neon grit. Hyperkinetic and irreverent, it's a f*ck you to the 'Bury your Gays' trope, and a brazenly campy homage to the cyberpunk classics that birthed the genre. Filled to its ever-sassy brim with irreverent immortal assassins, charming hacker boy-toys, and genderfluid sirens, KYN is a love story to the indomitable spirit of queerness that dares to dream of a new and better future beyond dystopia.
Depths of Blue
For Torrin Ivanov, life is a bargaining table. Every planet is a new business opportunity. Legality is optional and supplying one side in a local civil war always adds up to profit. Jak Stowell is at war within a war. A woman hidden in the heart of a male-only army, her brother's murder has left her desperate for vengeance. Her skill as a sniper gives her both the disguise she needs and paves the way ever closer to her real goal. She kills efficiently, without remorse. Putting down an off-world smuggler will be no different. A moment's hesitation. A flicker of doubt. Two women on a collision course set off a chain reaction of intergalactic intrigue-and awaken a dangerous passion that could cost them their lives.
Right Kind of Wrong
Tam's done everything he can to forget all about Konnor and their disastrous relationship. His new boyfriend, Giovanni, has helped with that.But six months into their relationship, he discovers that he's fallen into the same trap all over again. Beaten, broken and falling to pieces emotionally, Tam wonders if there's any point in going on. A pair of copper eyes and a gentle smile rescue him, in his darkest hour, giving him a ray of hope. But then he discovers that this beautiful boy is related to Grayson, the new boyfriend of his ex.Finally finding 'the one' in an unusually compassionate stranger, what possible future can they have, when Tam knows that Konnor will do all in his power to keep him far from the Dashwood boy?
The Short Story Special
Friendships have a way of causing either disaster or romance for the boys of Decadent. "Click" explores the past and present of Monroe's work relationship with Tyrone, and how a connection can form with even the most innocent of interactions. It can be hard to move past friendship into something more, something Jaime knows all too well when he asks Jean to "Hold My Hand". It takes strength for Eddy to push past their work boundaries and beg Rhett to "Leave Him for Me". In the final story, "What Never Was", Lachlan offers Konnor a gift that might just heal old wounds, and reveal what might have been for him and Tam.
The Other Side
It's been three years since Konnor lost Lachlan as a best friend. They still don't talk and Konnor has let his wild side out during college. Now, after three years at college, the six-month new student Grayson is his new best friend. Konnor is crazy about Grayson, while Grayson thinks he's as straight as a ruler and only wants to stay friends.But Konnor is determined: he won't lose another best friend to his secrets. What will happen when Konnor tries playing dirty? Will Grayson fall for his direct, unashamed flirtations or will they prove to be too much for the straight-laced newbie?
Sloth
Britain is rotting. Sloth has taken over the land. Natali and her wife, Lana, must raise their heart rates every three hours or the Sloth virus will slow their hearts to nothing. But Natali faces more than Sloth. She faces the depression her wife is consumed by, the loss of their child, and soon they must face a new presence on Britain's decaying roads. There are voices that yell through the silent night and gunfire that echoes from the skeletons of a society in ruins.
Quantum Girl
Peyton Herron was just an ordinary teenage girl until she decided to end her life. Suddenly, she finds herself given a second chance by being from the universe long ago, who claims she is the reincarnation of a woman from the past. And with a quantum seed placed in her head, Peyton discovers powers beyond her imagination. But now, not only does she face her mortal enemy from the distant past, but the spirit of the woman she once was that wants to take over her immortal soul.
The Sweater of My Soul
The Sweater of My Soul, Lisa A. Greenlee's debut novel, takes place in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in a small rural community only but a stone's throw from Savannah, Georgia.A young woman, Georgia Ann Balfour (Georgi), returns home from university to rekindle a friendship with childhood playmate, Hatti Louise Walker. Hatti is the daughter of Cilla, the Balfour family's beloved maid.Georgia finds herself fraught with turmoil when discovering who she is at her very core after falling into the most impossible kind of love. The Sweater of My Soul, while a darling little love story, is an awakening, brimming with emotional intimacy and courage while breaking boundaries of sexuality and the racial divide. The whimsical interaction between characters captivates the heart while soothing the restless soul.
All the Inside Howling
Vie Eliot has survived a new high school, an abusive father, and the murderous Mr. Big Empty. Now, as Vie searches for Mr. Big Empty, he also finds himself facing an unexpected complication: how to be a good boyfriend.When a mysterious drifter named River disappears, though, Vie finds himself dragged into finding the missing boy. Vie's psychic abilities have proved useful in the past, and once again they set him on the trail of a gruesome murderer.But the pattern of killings seems to make no sense, and as Vie tries to stop the murderer, he learns that the people he loves most are in terrible danger.And the killings may be much more personal than Vie has suspected.
The Dust Feast
Only days have passed since Vie Eliot's murderous half-brother-a dangerous, out-of-control psychic-was stopped from killing the people Vie loves most, but Vie is ready for his life to return to normal. He has plans. Big plans. Make the cross country team, pick up his grades, and spend a lot of time with his boyfriend.On the day of cross country tryouts, though, Vie finds one of the teachers dead-and Vie refuses to believe that the death was a suicide. As he searches for the killer, or killers, he discovers that a conspiracy exists in the small town of Vehpese: a conspiracy that might be older and deeper than Vie first suspects, a conspiracy of drugs and human trafficking that might also be tied, in some way Vie can't quite understand, to his own abilities-and to the other psychic abilities in his town. When the murderers turn their attention to Vie, though, he discovers that his powers might not be up to the task. He faces ghosts, ancient monsters, and even an evil substitute teacher, but unless he can confront his past, and the trauma that lies there, he might not manage to save the people he cares about.He might not even survive himself.
Mr. Big Empty
Vie Eliot arrives in the small town of Vehpese, Wyoming with little more than the clothes--and scars--on his back. Determined to make a new life for himself after escaping his abusive mother, he finds that living with his estranged father brings its own problems.Then Samantha Oates, the girl with blue hair, goes missing, and Vie might be the only one who can find her. His ability to read emotions and gain insight into other people's darkest secrets makes him the perfect investigator, with only one small problem: he wants nothing to do with his gift.When the killer begins contacting Vie through a series of strange cards, though, Vie is forced to hone his ability, because Samantha was not the killer's only target.And, as Vie learns, he is not the only psychic in town.
Fractured Mind
People have been disappearing all across the State with no apparent connection to one another. Police are baffled and struggling to determine if the disappearances are connected or are simply isolated incidents. There are no bodies or evidence- only abandoned vehicles and missing persons reports. Meanwhile, Alex Sanders is battling his own demons... Almost a year after surviving a horrific weekend held captive by his former best friend, Marc, Alex is now a freshman at the University of Tennessee. Desperately trying to start over, he is consumed with depression, anxiety, and guilt for the murder that he helped cover up. Always fearful of being discovered, Alex can't help but wonder, is Marc still secretly watching him? Could Marc's obsession with him have something to do with the current flood of disappearances across the State? All things seem to lead back to that fateful weekend... the one that started with murder ... and ended in betrayal. Warning: This book contains scenes which may be considered triggering events for some involving extreme violence, murder, kidnapping, and torture.
Appalachian Justice
Billy May Platte is a half Irish, half Cherokee Appalachian woman who learned the hard way that 1940s West Virginia was no place to be different.As Billy May explains, "We was sheltered in them hills. We didn't know much of nothin' about life outside of them mountains. I did not know the word lesbian; to us, gay meant havin' fun and queer meant somethin' strange."In 1945, when Billy May was fourteen years old and orphaned, three local boys witnessed an incident in which Billy May's sexuality was called into question. Determined to teach her a lesson she would never forget, they orchestrated a brutal attack that changed the dynamics of the tiny coal mining village of Cedar Hollow, West Virginia forever.Global Ebook Gold Medal Winner in 2013, a finalist for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington's Synergy Program in 2013, and voted Sapphic Readers Book Club Book of the Year in 2011 (under a different imprint), Appalachian Justice is a work of southern fiction that delves into social issues such as poverty, domestic violence, misogyny, and sexual orientation. Ultimately, however, Appalachian Justice delivers a message of hope.
Christmas Mountain
The probation officer caring for his dead brother's baby. The wounded gentle giant with the biggest softest heart.Rami: Sweet Fen Hawthorne is my favourite thing about working in the prison. His broad shoulders and sunny grin. His twinkly flirtation. And he likes me as much as I like him. More seems inevitable until life happens.One day I'm there, then I'm not, and second chances don't really happen when your car breaks down halfway up a snowy mountain, do they?Besides, I don't remember flirting with a bearded lumbersexual, only dreaming about one.Fen: Do dreams come true?Christmas Mountain is my home. But it's the one place on earth I never imagined seeing Rami Stone again, and now I'm snowed in with him. Trapped, with only a roaring fire for company, and it's a fantasy come true. The air is thick with more than snow and the eighteen months we've been apart fades away.As the snow clears, though, so does the haze. Rami says he comes with baggage. But so do I, and I'm here for the heavy lifting.I'm here for forever.A Christmas MM romance from Garrett Leigh. Expect: Long lost friends-to-lovers, heart-warming found family, and the swooniest second chance at love with a healthy dose of sweet hurt/comfort. Gorging on mince pies and cinnamon-spiced doughnuts is optional, but deeply encouraged.
Vamp Until Ready
"I figure that some of you have been in plays, and so know how a closing night feels. With some shows, it's a relief. With others, you're fighting tears. Robin's theory is that it depends on how you feel about the makeshift family you've created for those weeks." Says Cary Dunkler, chorus boy turned master baker, who forms part of the network of protagonists in Vamp Until Ready. Cary, Isa Vass, Kristy Schroyer, Judy Gabelson, and Mark Shinner have lives that are transformed in surprising ways by working on or backstage at the Hangar Theatre, a summer stock outfit in upstate New York in the 1980's. They make--and remake--their families in this closely observed, ultimately comic valentine to the Socialist-leaning hamlet of Ithaca and to the pleasures of putting on a show at warp speed in hot weather.Praise for Vamp Until Ready"James Magruder's warm-hearted, hair-raising, and hilarious new novel, Vamp Until Ready, is a cross between Winesburg, Ohio and a backstage musical-a panorama of small-town American life over a dozen years, but a dozen particular years, 1980 to 1992, the era of Reagan-Bush, the global AIDS crisis, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. And not just any town: Ithaca, New York, a college town with a hippie hangover and a cast of literally theatrical characters who are always putting on a play. In the novel's ingenious structure, major characters in one chapter appear as minor characters in the next, and vice versa, as if you held up a multi-faceted gem and kept turning it in the light until every surface was illuminated. Magruder's gift is to make you feel like you've gotten to be friends with a bunch of charming, fallible, wounded and wounding, passionate and compassionate people who are yearning for-and sometimes avoiding-connection. Like us."-John Weir, author of Your Nostalgia is Killing Me "This novel is a triumphant romp. We're privileged with intimate portraits of a group of friends as they roam from Ithaca to Uganda, from love to grief, from ambition o reconciliation, James Magruder's Vamp Until Ready is a pure pleasure."-Don Lee, author of Lonesome Lies Before Us "A hilarious, moving novel inhabited by characters who are both outrageous and utterly human, linked not only by a theater in Ithaca but by their desire to be loved. With its seductive, Russian doll structure and gorgeous prose, Vamp Until Ready captivates and delights."-Jane Delury, author of The Balcony
One of These Things Is Not Like the Other
Brotherhood is going to the dogs."You're your own man," Jake Barnes tells himself upon arrival at his father's isolated cabin in the woods of Oregon. "You are yourself." But in the strange world of One of These Things Is Not Like the Other, manhood and self are not to be so easily understood. Or trusted.Quadruplet brothers. Raised in rural seclusion by their identical, namesake father. Now in their twenties, the Jake Barnes brothers are shocked by their father's sudden suicide during one boy's visit. More surprises come in the video he leaves behind, announcing that one of them is an unrelated outsider, and daring his sons to uncover the truth of their birth. From across the U.S. the brothers converge to find a woman who may be their mother, but twisted lust, murderous secrets, and shifting identities threaten their lives along the way. Winner of the 2005 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Mystery
The Vintage Book of International Lesbian Fiction
A groundbreaking volume from Lamda Award-winning editors Naomi Holoch and Joan Nestle, The Vintage Book of International Lesbian Fiction presents a range of literary voices--from twenty-seven countries spanning six continents--and offers glimpses of lesbian life in unfamilar, often exotic climes. We follow an Irish woman as she travels through time in search of a wronged maiden, and anticipate the harrowing fate of a married Indian woman who pursues pleasure with her female lover under the shadow of her husbands suspicious rage. We meet a teacher in Barcelona who locks herself up in her grandmother's house with her young Columbian student, and witness a Slovenian woman's rendezvous with her long dead lover. This collection includes the work of familiar writers, as well as a number never before published in English. From the West Indies to Eastern Europe, the Middle East to Southeast Asia, Latin America to South Africa, the distinctive stories found in these pages evoke the diverse political, cultural, emotional, and sexual landscapes of each writer's life. A groundbreaking volume from the Lamda Award-winning editors Naomi Holoch and Joan Nestle, who also wrote the introduction, this collections evokes the universal urgency of persistent desire.
Lingered Moments
Lingered Moments is a declaration of love caught in moments of thought... thoughts that provoke the sensual memories of her touch, of breathing in her aroma, and savoring the tenderness of her kiss. The author reveals the depth of wants and desire that linger in the sentiment of passion. The thought of her romances the mind in unforgettable experiences in the art of love making. She is the quencher of the author's thirst, an affirmation of the essence of being in love and yearning more. The author takes you to that place where her thoughts reflect the romantic moments that linger long after the experience of loving a woman and the sensual intimacy that remains embedded in memory with each sensual image of the passion in loving her.
Five Dead Herrings
Something's definitely fishy about this case... On my last stakeout for Quest Investigations, I nearly got clotheslined by a grove of angry dryads. I expected my bosses to reprimand me, but instead they handed me my first solo assignment. Me! Matt Steinitz, the only human on the Quest roster! Okay, so the mission isn't exactly demanding. Obviously, the bosses wanted to give me something they think I can't screw up. I'm determined to show them what I can do, however, so I dive right in with no complaints. At first glance, it looks as simple as baiting a hook: A selkie's almost-ex-husband is vandalizing his boat with unwanted deliveries of deceased sea life. All I have to do is document the scene, tell the ex to cease and desist, and present the bill for property damages. Boom. Mission accomplished, another Quest success, and as a bonus, I get to keep my job. But then things get...complicated. Suspicious undercurrents muddy up my oh-so-easy case. Nothing is as clear as it should be. And the biggest complication? My inappropriate attraction to the client, who may not be as blameless as he claims. Turns out those dead herrings aren't the only things that stink about this situation. Dammit. Five Dead Herrings is the first in the Quest Investigations M/M paranormal mystery series, a spinoff of E.J. Russell's Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not techincally a romance (unless you like really slow burn).
Acceptance
Engen Books and Quadrangle are proud to bring you Acceptance: Stories at the Centre of Us, a collaboration anthology featuring stories by and about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Quadrangle's mission is to create a community centre for 2SLGBTQAI+ individuals and organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador, a space that is a resource for building community resilience and connection, and that provides supports for existing initiatives of our 2SLGBTQAI+ community. As a registered charity, both working toward having a community centre, and taking up projects like this one contribute to Quad's vision of contributing to sustainable, positive, community connections. All profits from this collection will go towards that goal. This collection features twenty-two astonishing short stories hand-picked by editors Ailsa Craig, Sulaimon Giwa, AJ Ryan, and Sarah Thompson, and features the talents of authors such as Hannah Jenkins (The Birds Come Back in the Spring), Rhea Rollmann (A Queer History of Newfoundland), Daze Jefferies (Land of Many Shores: Stories from a Diverse Newfoundland and Labrador), Ali House (The Lightbulb Forest), and many more!
