stories in and

A Doctor's Touch

A Doctor's Touch by A.A. Fairview

Under the full moon, the town doctor Levi finds none other than Camron Coinin with a silver bullet in his gut. Being a vampire moonlighting as a doctor has never been easy. He took an oath, do no harm, but an exception must be made. Monsters need to stick together and Levi knows this attack means they’re both in danger. Before now, Levi has assumed to be at odds with Camron but in nursing him back to health his feelings become clear
 and Levi, though undead, feels alive with Camron in his bed.


Crystals and Contracts

Crystals and Contracts by A.A. Fairview

My landlord is going to hate me for what I’m about to do. I’ve never had a father and never wanted one either. To my dismay, I do have a father, Arthur le Fay–a crime lord witch. Afraid for not just my safety, but the safety of my friends and coven, I have no other choice but to make a deal with a devil. A little drastic? Maybe, but it’s certainly effective. At least it would be–if the devil would agree to make a deal with me! Now I have a devil in my apartment and no idea what to do about the le Fays. I just want them to leave me alone
 or maybe I want them afraid of me. Fear is one hell of a motivator. But no amount of fear will get this devil of mine to behave. He’s much more partial to exchanges, my body for his benevolence. Nothing good can come from feelings, especially when he insists he has none.


Teeth and Tarot

Teeth and Tarot by A.A. Fairview

"It's not my fault, I tell myself. Daily affirmation. Unfortunately." I fled the comforts of my wealthy, witch family a decade ago. I like to think I've settled into a human existence; clubs, hookups, early morning coffee runs... And the nightmares could always be worse. But I find myself drawn to this stud, this guy at my local coffee spot, who just feels too good to be true. But a one-night stand can't hurt. Right? Like a curse I can't escape, I'm back in the world I fought so hard to leave. Witches, gangs, and werewolves abound. Nevermind that stud went and got himself bitten by a werewolf. I'm bad at letting go, at just forgetting. I don't want to forget this guy... Even if that puts us both in danger.


FIRST CREATION

FIRST CREATION by mars adler

In an alternate biblical history, the war between angels and demons is unending and brutal. Amitiel, an angel of God, and Stolas, a fallen angel-turned-spy, should be enemies. However, after they uncover a shocking secret that drives them to desert, they go on the run together in modern-day America. Both are injured, and it’s only by chance that they stumble upon a long-abandoned church. Ensconced in the alluring, stifling church with a forgotten cemetery and too many peach trees, they finally have time to heal. They also have time to think and plan, which is as much a blessing as it is a curse. Amitiel must come to terms with his strange hunger and forbidden desires, while Stolas plans their next move. They both grapple with the knowledge of where their food rations came from, and that something is very wrong in the heart of Heaven itself. God has vanished, and if he isn't giving the orders, who is condoning the atrocities the angels commit in the name of winning? FIRST CREATION is a high heat queer horror novella. It is a love letter to fallen angels, rediscovering religion in a way that works for you, queer rage, and hunger of all kinds. It deals with some very heavy themes and is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. For a full list of content warnings please check the author's website.


The Lady of the Lair

The Lady of the Lair by Ladz

Chipped Cup

A story about a traveler going to evict a spider shifter lady and her children from their manor, and it goes about as well as you'd expect in a horror/dark fantasy.


Ice Upon a Pier

Ice Upon a Pier by Ladz

Chipped Cup

My warped sense of morality embarrasses me. Ruta Pawlak is one of the most successful contract killers Pier-Upon-Pier City has ever seen. Convicted of five murders that landed her multiple life sentences, her kill count allegedly sits between fifteen and two hundred people. Some were just for practice, others for revenge, and others she executed for money to keep her potentially world-record setting reading collection going. For the first time, a biographer sits down with the legendary killer to hear her story in her own words. Get the details on her relationship with her depraved bosses and her eclectic arsenal of murder weapons from ice magic to poison to even the sun itself. From her impoverished upbringing to her introduction to the Syndicates to her bizarre affair with fellow killer Frieda Masters to Ruta’s eventual downfall, this account goes beyond headlines and court proceedings, weaving a story of love, family, survival, and murder. This novella is perfect for fans of true crime, fantasy, noir, The Last Podcast on the Left, and the interview portions of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire series. Humans killing other humans wasn’t natural. Human killing monsters, however, might be.


City of Exile

City of Exile by Claudie Arseneault

Kraken Collective

Nothing is going according to plan for Diel Dathirii and his allies. Hellion has entrenched his power in House Dathirii, Hasryan is in Lord Allastam’s clutches, and with no one left to poison Master Avenazar, it’s only a matter of time before he seeks revenge. While Nevian scrambles to put together his magical trap, Larryn reaches out to the only person he trusts to save Hasryan: Sora Sharpe. Their impulsive rescue will hurtle Isandor towards a final confrontation—one last opportunity to reclaim House Dathirii and face Master Avenazar. But in order to seize this chance, Diel Dathirii and his allies will need to answer one question: what price are they willing to pay to ensure the future of their loved ones within the City of Spires? City of Exile is the fourth and final installment of the City of Spires series, a multi-layered political fantasy led by an all-queer cast. Fans of complex storylines criss-crossing one another, elves and magic, and strong friendships and found families will find everything they need within these pages.


From the Dark We Came

From the Dark We Came by J. Emery

Kraken Collective

Belar has made lying into an art form. His neighbors know him as a mild mannered music teacher, but to his fellow monster hunters he’s a senior agent with one of the best track records in the organization. Werewolves, malignant spirits, and other oddities—you name it, he can track it. And kill it if necessary. But when a vampire shows up in Belar’s parlor, his two worlds crash into each other. The vampire is named Cassian, and if he had any sense of decency he would be dead since Belar has already tried to kill him. Twice. Luckily, Cassian isn’t interested in holding a grudge. He wants to hire the hunter. Someone in vampire society wants Cassian dead and they’ve been using Belar to do their dirty work. Finding the culprit will save them both. Their search for answers takes them through a nighttime world of ancient vampires, demon tailors, and monsters of pure shadow. But Belar hasn’t been the only one lying, and enemies and allies are harder to tell apart in the dark. From the Dark We Came is a 50,000 word paranormal novel with a demisexual protagonist


A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams

A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams by Dax Murray

Kraken Collective

How many half-truths could loyalty shoulder before it broke from the weight of deception on its back? A sweeping LGBTQ and polyamorous retelling of "Swan Lake"! Strange things can be said of the forest that spans the border of two kingdoms long at war. An evil sorcerer has made it his dominion, or an elegant enchantress has claimed it as her domain and grants wishes to those who chance upon her, or maybe the forest is guarded by an ancient and wrathful spirit. Katya calls the forest home, living a life of magic and charms with her partner Ivan. But a threat looms over their forest, some darkness and danger that Ivan swears to protect her from. Katya finds herself caught up in a web of grudges and deception spanning generations, but most dangerous of all is the beautiful princess who stumbled into their woods. A princess who sets Katya’s heart fluttering with both desire and fear. As forces rally to rescue the princess or go to war, Katya must take measure of her own powers and decide what she is willing to sacrifice. Will she retreat to the safety of what's familiar or give up everything she knows to spread her wings and fly?


The Ice Princess's Fair Illusion

The Ice Princess's Fair Illusion by Dove Cooper

Kraken Collective

All Marian wants is for society to accept that she's just not interested in... whatever society thinks she ought to be interested in. A princess with a reputation for insults and snide remarks, she's afraid to show anyone who she would be if people would let her. In a fit of temper at her refusal to marry, her father creates her worst nightmare: she is to be wed to the first beggar who arrives at the gates. Edel was visiting purely for diplomatic reasons, aiming to ensure her daughter inherits a strong and peaceful kingdom. She sees something in Marian that is achingly familiar and when Edel hears the king's proclamation, only one thing is on her mind: to protect Marian from the fate that had befallen Edel herself. Their lives threaded together by magic, Edel and Marian will have to find their way in the world in this queerplatonic, sapphic verse novel retelling of King Thrushbeard.


Cheerleaders from Planet X

Cheerleaders from Planet X by Lyssa Chiavari

Kraken Collective

Aliens are among us. And humanity’s only hope just happens to carry pom-poms. Laura Clark thought she was just your average college freshman—until the day she saw a cheerleader on a skateboard get into a superhuman brawl with a lightning-wielding stranger in a trenchcoat. And the weirdest thing of all? Nobody else saw it happen. Nobody, that is, except the beautiful but standoffish Shailene, one of the mysterious (and possibly super-powered) cheerleaders from Laura’s rival school, Bayview University. When girls start disappearing all over the City, Laura suddenly realizes that she may have seen more than she should. And if she wants to keep from disappearing herself, she needs to find some answers. But though Laura can’t shake the feeling that they’re somehow connected, Shailene is more than a little reluctant to share her secrets. With strange, bug-like creatures and a sinister man in a dark coat stalking her every step, Laura will have to uncover the truth fast if she wants to survive. The fate of the planet just might hang in the balance.


Fourth World

Fourth World by Lyssa Chiavari

IAMOS, S.C.D. 8378 Nadin's planet is dying. As its atmosphere drains away, her people are forced to live huddled in domed cities for protection. With only enough resources to support the population for one more year, time is running out. Nadin thinks she's found a way to save Iamos, but it will mean defying the planet's rulers, the geroi—and betraying the geroi could cost her everything. When a strange boy from another world appears out of nowhere outside the citidome's glass walls, Nadin knows for sure that her plan will work. But to build the device that can save her people, Nadin must first find the legendary city of Elytherios. And to do that, she'll need the help of the mysterious alien boy named Isaak. MARS, 2073 C.E. All Isaak wanted was to get through his senior year at the Academy in one piece. Everything would have been fine if he hadn't found that ancient coin among his missing father's possessions. The coin seems to have a strange connection not only to Isaak's family, but to Mars' ancient past. But how is that possible, on a planet that was supposed to be dead until just forty years ago? Now Isaak's got agents of the Earth's government on his tail and a deranged factory worker stalking his every move. Everyone is desperate to get their hands on something called the Key. And the only way to escape is to unlock an even bigger secret, one that could change his life—and the fate of Mars—forever.


Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Story

Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Story by Claudie Arseneault, C. T. Callahan, RoAnna Sylver, B. R. Sanders

Common Bonds is an anthology of speculative short stories and poetry featuring aromantic characters. At the heart of this collection are the bonds that impact our lives from beginning to end: platonic relationships. Within this anthology, a cursed seamstress finds comfort in the presence of a witch, teams of demon hunters work with their rival to save one of their own, a peculiar scholar gets attached to those he was meant to study, and queerplatonic shopkeepers guide their pupil as they explore their relationship needs and desires. Through nineteen stories and poems, Common Bonds explores the ways platonic relationships enrich our lives.


Failure to Communicate

Failure to Communicate by Kaia SĂžnderby

Kraken Collective

As one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, Xandri Corelel has faced a lot of hardship, and she's earned her place as the head of Xeno-Liaisons aboard the first contact ship Carpathia. But her skill at negotiating with alien species is about to be put to the ultimate test. The Anmerilli, a notoriously reticent and xenophobic people, have invented a powerful weapon that will irrevocably change the face of space combat. Now the Starsystems Alliance has called in Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia to mediate. The Alliance won't risk the weapon falling into enemy hands, and if Xandri can't bring the Anmerilli into the fold, the consequences will be dire. Amidst sabotage, assassination attempts, and rampant cronyism, Xandri struggles to convince the doubtful and ornery Anmerilli. Worse, she's beginning to suspect that not everyone on her side is really working to make the alliance a success. As tensions rise and tempers threaten to boil over, Xandri must focus all her energy into understanding the one species that has always been beyond her: her own.


Two Dark Moons

Two Dark Moons by Avi Silver

Sohmeng Par is sick of being treated like a child. Ever since a tragic accident brought her mountain community’s coming-of-age ritual to a halt, she’s caused nothing but trouble in her impatience to become an adult. But when she finally has the chance to prove herself, she’s thrown from her life in the mountains and into the terror of the jungle below. Cornered by a colony of reptilian predators known as the sãoni, Sohmeng is rescued by Hei, an eccentric exile with no shortage of secrets. As likely to bite Sohmeng as they are to cook her breakfast, this stranger and their family of lizards are like nothing she’s ever seen before. If she wants to survive, she must find a way to adapt to the vibrant, deadly world of the rainforest and the creatures that inhabit it—including Hei themself. But Sohmeng has secrets of her own, and sharing them could mean losing everything a second time.


Deny Me, The Nightshade Boy

Deny Me, The Nightshade Boy by Z.M. Celestaire

A cozy queer romance against the backdrop of wild and dangerous Fae magic. For fans of A Marvellous Light, Holly Black, and TJ Klune. Andrew has been haunted by the Folk ever since his mother's addiction to Fae-spelled foods. It was never his intention to fall for Micah, whose mysterious nature suggests more than just human lineage, but Micah has a certain... charm to him that Andrew finds irresistible. While their ensuing romance seems to be going well, the Folk from Micah's past demand his attention, and demand that Micah stop denying his Fae nature to harness the power in his blood.


The Wolf in Me: Survive

The Wolf in Me: Survive by Alex Smith

The 23rd century is nearing its end. Having been treated as subhuman (and worse) for over 300 years, the Wolves - a race of wolf-human hybrids - have reached their breaking point. With a clear threat of war rising daily, the US Military devises a plan to destroy the beasts they helped create. However, utilizing their intelligence and raw bestial instincts, the Wolves hatch a plan of their own: plunge the entire world into a war to end all wars! In the aftermath of a deadly airship crash, Percy - a six-year-old human boy - finds himself behind enemy lines; in the claws of the creatures he's been taught to fear his entire life. Xander - a twenty-eight-year-old elite black ops Wolf, finds himself with a very difficult choice to make; kill the innocent child he has found, or be ostracized by his own kind and protect the boy? What is a small, frail, boy to do when surrounded by beasts fighting to end his very existence? Survive!


Obsidian Island

Obsidian Island by Arden Powell

The storm should have killed them. The tropical paradise where they wash ashore just might. Emery Lapwing is only interested in two things: exploring the natural world, and pretending that he's not in love with his closest friend, Captain James Rawlings of The Achillean. The first is easy: James will sail him anywhere he wants to go. The second, Emery has been doing for the past ten years. Emery's routine is shattered when he and James are swept overboard in a lightning storm. When the storm passes, they find themselves on the glittering pink beach of an unmapped island where no one has ever walked before. The island seems like the perfect place to recuperate as they wait for rescue, brimming with miraculous new species to be discovered. And a thousand miles from civilization, it's all too easy for Emery to imagine kissing James. In London, it was unthinkable—a kiss between two men meant the gallows if they were caught. On the island, it means risking James' friendship when they most need each other to survive. But attraction isn't the only peril they face. The island hides a dangerous secret, and James and Emery aren't the only castaways falling under its spell. Monstrous creatures stalk their every move and something is taking root in their dreams, luring them deeper into the island's deadly, tropical heart. The island offers Emery everything he has ever dreamed of. But all dreams require a sacrifice. And the island is hungry.


The Faerie Hounds of York

The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell

England, 1810. The north is governed by a single rule. Faerie will take as it pleases. William Loxley is cursed. A pale and monstrous creature haunts his dreams, luring him from London to the desolate, grey landscape of his forgotten childhood. There, it will use him to open a door to Faerie—a fate that will trap Loxley in that glittering, heathen otherworld forever. His only hope of escaping the creature's grasp lies with John Thorncress, a dark and windswept stranger met on the moors. The longer Loxley stays in Thorncress' company, the harder it becomes to fight his attraction to the man. Such attraction can only end in heartbreak—or the noose. But Thorncress has his own bleak ties to Faerie. They come creeping in with the frost, their howls carrying on the winter wind. If Thorncress' past catches up with him before they can break the curse, then Loxley will not only lose his soul. He'll lose Thorncress, too.


All Yesterday's Papers

All Yesterday's Papers by S.S. Genesee

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1974 Another body is found. Another one of Maurice’s victims. But as the law draws near, everything starts to change
 Kenneth thinks things are finally looking up in his life. He has a wonderful partner in Maurice, and a future that looks bright
 or so it seems. As more murders occur, and the police learn more about the Western Michigan Serial Killer, Kenneth’s world begins to crack. Maybe his perfect lover isn’t as perfect as he thought. Maurice spirals further and further out of control, losing sight of who he is—is he an immoral, murderous artist, or a sweet, caring boyfriend? How long can he hide the truth from Kenneth before it all comes crashing down, ending his life as he knows it? Would Kenneth still love him if he knew? [All Yesterday’s Papers is Book Two of the All Tomorrow’s Photos duology. It is not a standalone, and must be read after Book One. This duology is a dark MM romance story not intended for a young audience.]


All Tomorrow's Photos

All Tomorrow's Photos by S.S. Genesee

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1974 Maurice is an art student majoring in photography, and has become so invested in his craft he built his own darkroom inside his house. He sees an artistic view in everything, even things the average person sees as disgusting or macabre. So much so, that he’s become a serial killer in order to fulfill his disturbing artistic projects. But his murderous lifestyle gets flipped upside-down when he encounters a photo of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. Kenneth is a registered nurse living day by day a dreary, monotonous life. When his sister tells him someone from her class wants him to be their model for the next school project, Kenneth takes a chance by trying something new. Little do the two men realize that meeting each other will set their hearts on fire, falling madly in love, changing their lives forever. [All Tomorrow’s Photos is Book One of a duology. It is a dark MM romance story not intended for a young audience.]


A Thief and a Gentleman

A Thief and a Gentleman by Arden Powell

Sebastian is a con artist with expensive taste. Unfortunately, he has no hope of living the high-class life he craves without stealing it. So, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. He might be a pathetic ex-convict by day, but by night, he’s London’s most notorious jewel thief. All he needs is someone to provide him with food, money, and a place to stay while he plans the heist that will secure his future once and for all. When a friend dares him to seduce Morgan Hollyhock—rich, handsome, and incredibly boring—Sebastian thinks he’s found the perfect mark. There’s just one problem. He and Morgan have history, and he’s unprepared for the flood of emotions when he sees Morgan again for the first time in twenty years. For once, Sebastian wants to be honest about who he is and what he’s done. But Morgan has always been a stickler for the rules. If Sebastian opens up about his crimes or his past, Morgan might turn him in, or worse, reject him. And that won't just jeopardize Sebastian's criminal career. After a lifetime of cheating and lying, Sebastian is appalled to realize that he does in fact have a heart to break. A Thief and a Gentleman is part of a series of standalone queer romances set in a 1920s universe infused with magic.


A Novel Arrangement

A Novel Arrangement by Arden Powell

A dressmaker who secretly publishes thrilling romances. Her handsome war-veteran fiancĂ©. And his best friend, a charming artist of ill-repute determined to ruin their relationship. There are two things standing between Elizabeth Turtledove and her happily-ever-after: her fiancé’s best friend, who despises her, and the blackmailer scheming to steal her savings. Arthur and Coxley have been inseparable since their schooldays, and Coxley will stop at nothing to keep Arthur for himself. Although he’s all bite and bad manners, Elizabeth can tell there’s a better man hiding beneath that prickly exterior. As she gets to know Coxley and the depth of his friendship with Arthur, she finds another thing in the way of her happy ending. She’s taken their case of mutual pining and inadvertently turned it into a love triangle. She has a plan to deal with her ridiculous blackmailer by summer’s end. Unfortunately, as much as she’d like to handle this love triangle with equal efficiency, matters of the heart are rarely so simple. A Novel Arrangement is a full-length FMM novel in the Flos Magicae series, set in an alternate 1920s universe with magic. All the books are standalones and can be read in any order.


Tell Me How It Ends

Tell Me How It Ends by Quinton Li

Iris Galacia's tarot cards do more than entertain gamblers. With the flip of her fingers she can predict the future and uncover a person's secrets. Under the watchful eye of her mother, she is already on thin ice for pursuing a passion in the family business, but then cracks start to form, and eventually she falls through. She is given an ultimatum: earn a thousand coins or leave the business, and the family. Enter Marin Boudreau, a charming young person who can scale buildings and break off door knobs, who comes for her help to rescue a witch who's been falsely imprisoned in Excava Kingdom. And Marin is willing to pay a high sum for her talents. But saving a prisoner from royal hands isn't easy, nor is leaving home for the first time in eighteen years. Now Iris must learn to trust in herself, Marin, and this new magical world, while racing the clock before the royals decide the fate of the witch, and before any secrets catch up to her. TELL ME HOW IT ENDS features LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodivergent, cultural, and mental health representation. The main character, Iris Galacia, is a lesbian tarot reader with anxiety and autism. The second main character, Marin Boudreau, is an aromantic asexual non-binary person with ADHD.


Prince's Tide

Prince's Tide by M.L. Eaden

Royce’s childhood was anything but calm. As an adult with famous parents, he preferred to live away from the public eye. All he needed was a boat, a crew, and his best friend Pete. That changed when Royce made a mistake that dropped him into the Gulf. Struggling for survival, his rescue isn’t from above, instead it comes from the sea itself in the shape of a legend long thought extinct and relegated to stories. Fascinated with life above the waterline, Troller happens upon a fishing boat with a lone person on deck. When the sailor falls overboard, he doesn't stop to think about the consequences of rescuing the human. When he comes face to face with Royce. He’s instantly enamored, but his people haven't shown themselves in centuries. Troller swims away, afraid he's risked his people's safety, unable to forget the man he saved. A year later, Troller uncovers a secret that has his people below the waves. Its knowledge could cost him his life. He swims to the one place he might be safe and arrives on Royce’s boat, naked and exhausted. Their mutual attraction quickly becomes more as they build a life together. When their secrets threaten to separate them, will love and trust be enough to keep them together and alive? Prince's Tide is a spicy merfolk romance with a HEA. The Mythical Desires Universe is a queer-centric world where myth and legends exist alongside advanced science and technology.


JUNKER SEVEN

JUNKER SEVEN by Olive J. Kelley

A romantic, queer sci-fi epic about changing the galaxy, one girl at a time. Castor Quasar is a junker— a bounty hunter making a living off of collecting and selling valuable scrap. They live a quiet life, bouncing from job to job and not worrying about the brewing galactic rebellion. Except, when they get a job offer for an irresistible amount of money, they find themself embroiled much deeper than expected. Their task? To smuggle transgender activist Juno Marcus across the galaxy under the watchful eye of the Intergalactic Police Force and a propaganda-informed galaxy. It’s too dangerous to accept, but too valuable to refuse, and it doesn't help that Juno herself is charming and beautiful. Agreeing drags Cas into a whirlwind race against those who want Juno dead to make it across the galaxy to safety, risking it all for a cause they can’t– or won’t– believe in.


As the Light Goes Out

As the Light Goes Out by Olive J. Kelley

A cozy & honest romance novella about mental health and finding the right person. When Boston born and bred Simon Abbott buys an obsolete lighthouse on the coast of Maine, he envisions turning it into a short-term rental with nothing but a HGTV understanding of renovation and heaps of gay audacity. The current caretaker of the lighthouse, Bruce Cadogan, sees right through Simon’s confidence and, in a last ditch attempt to save his quaint New England hometown’s charm, asks for three days to convince Simon not to go through with his plan, or he’ll help him with the renovations himself. What follows is nothing either man expected— A violent ocean storm brings them together for a night, which turns into a day, and another day; by the time Simon’s three days are up, he’s saddled with feelings for the other man, and Bruce can’t help but wish Simon would stay. With the lighthouse standing between them, the two men have to choose between nurturing the new spark into a flame, or their original agreement, returning to the lives they led before.


Wolf, Willow, Witch

Wolf, Willow, Witch by FreydĂ­s Moon

A vicious romance imbued with magic, thievery, and necromancy
 When Tehlor Nilsen stumbles upon an abandoned corpse hidden in her friend’s empty house, she can’t ignore the energy lingering around the broken albeit familiar body. Entranced by the promise of ritualistic power, she seizes her chance to secure a vorðr. Miraculously, Hel, the goddess of death, grants Tehlor an audience. But Lincoln Stone has no interest in becoming a magical sentry and raising him from the dead comes with violent consequences. When a mysterious neo-church arrives in Gideon, Tehlor catches wind of a rare relic. Despite Lincoln's troubling enthusiasm for demonology, she strikes a deal with her unruly vorðr, hoping to mend their strained relationship
 Work together. Steal the Breath of Judas. Control the dead. As the magically bound pair infiltrate Haven and their heist becomes a hunt, Tehlor isn't sure if she's the predator or prey



Heart, Haunt, Havoc

Heart, Haunt, Havoc by FreydĂ­s Moon

Laced with romance, gothic imagery, Catholic mysticism, diaspora, and horror
 When lonely transgender exorcist, Colin Hart, finds himself challenged by an unruly haunted house in Gideon, Colorado, he’s kept awake by ghosts, demons, ghouls, and the handsome nonbinary owner of the house, Bishop Martínez. Unlike the simple hauntings Colin is accustomed to, Bishop’s house is a living beacon, attracting a plethora of inhuman creatures, including a vengeful wolf-headed spirit who might be the key to quieting their sleepless nights. But as a heartbreaking mystery unravels, Colin comes face-to-face with the past Bishop tried to bury, opens a closet full of bloody skeletons, and trips into an accidental romance. As paranormally skilled as Colin might be, this particular haunting may be too messy for him to handle



The Necessity of Rain

The Necessity of Rain by Sarah Chorn

It begins with a butterfly in chains. Since the dawn of time, life has been comfortable and predictable. The gods have wrested pockets of Creation from Chaos, formed civilizations, and built entire realities. Now, the nature of Creation is changing and the Divine are losing their divinity. Rosemary, daughter of the God of Creation, can no longer deny this when a strange delegation from Dawnland braves the paths through Chaos and survives. Come to negotiate trade and protection agreements with the Divine of Meadowsweet, it is the butterfly woman who so captivates Rosemary. The weight of her sorrow, the heaviness of her secrets. For the soul is a battleground. Clouds are massing along the horizon, and Rosemary... She must survive the storm.


The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle

The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle by Steve Hugh Westenra

SPFBO10

Tyler Kyle doesn’t believe in monsters. A washed-up thirty-year-old actor and reluctant cryptid investigator, Tyler is used to playing the Scully to his best friend Josh’s Mulder on their stupidly popular YouTube channel. But when Tyler receives previously unseen footage of the B movie bombshell mother who abandoned him eighteen years ago—footage linked to an isolated island in the Canadian wilderness—the mystery is one conspiracy he’s determined to investigate. The fact that following the scent gives Tyler an excuse to run away from the “straight” Josh, whom he drunkenly made out with, is just the cherry on the shit sundae. But Echo Island isn’t what it seems. Its eerily scenic veneer hides a twisted secret buried in its roots as a gay conversion camp, and as Tyler retraces his mother’s footsteps, he discovers a supernatural connection between the residents and the island—one they seem to think Tyler and his mother share. Even worse, the footage of Tyler’s mom came from someone on the island–a stalker whose obsessive fascination with both Tyler and Josh is about to make Tyler wish he hadn’t gone this one alone. Puppeteered by his stalker, searching for his mother, and debating whether it’s possible to queerbait yourself, Tyler comes to realize that it doesn’t matter so much whether you believe in monsters, if they believe in you. THE ERSTWHILE TYLER KYLE is an adult horror comedy for fans of GHOST FILES, BUZZFEED UNSOLVED, and TWIN PEAKS.


The Forgotten Lyric

The Forgotten Lyric by Carolina Cruz

How can an assassin retire and live with everything they’ve done? Some men turn to drink, while others choose to live in denial. Kennet Peders, on the other hand, is just trying to be a better person. Saving a young girl from death by poison seems to be the perfect place to start, yet even as he takes a job that does nothing but good, Kennet can’t fully escape his past
 With the supernatural ability to influence other people’s emotions, Asa never felt quite comfortable in the society they were raised in. Luckily, being a bard means they can easily leave that society to find a home somewhere new—and the country of Bladland is very new to them. Here Asa finds themself presented with an opportunity: use their influence to help save a young girl and befriend a mysterious (and handsome) sword-for-hire in the process. It’s an adventure they’d be a fool to pass up on. The Forgotten Lyric is the second book in the Creed of Gethin trilogy.


Open Wound

Open Wound by Shane Blackheart

Continued from Everything Is Wonderful Now ... After the angel that threatened his life, Sean faced his frightening alter, Vexis, who haunted his dreams. With the help of Byleth, Zagan, and Darokin, he thinks his troubles are finally behind him. Little does he know that PTSD is a beast lying dormant in waiting to emerge. It ends up influencing everything, including the way he perceives reality. Vexis was the reason Sean remained in a trauma loop for so long, but something changes within them as they decide to finally work with him; they want to help him heal from trauma after years of prolonging it. Being a sadist who is unable to feel love, it results in a twisted and sexual masochistic relationship that Sean becomes addicted to. As Vexis takes Sean through various liminal space voids and dark memories — theirs included — they reveal that they are something much more frightening and ancient than an angel or a demon. Can Vexis really be trusted? Or are they opening Sean's wounds to let something sinister slip inside...


Fair Haven

Fair Haven by Wendy Palmer

Stronghold Fair Haven by the Sea is a beacon in a sometimes harsh world, open to all and deliberately, stubbornly kind. It also holds the honour and responsibility of hosting an atelier, a workshop for the rare and highly-prized magical engineers known as Mancers. Hazel lives a comfortable, contented life in Stronghold Haven as a member of the team of elite bodyguards protecting the resident Mancer. But when another Mancer comes knocking on Haven's door to plead for refuge from the stronghold zhey've just escaped from, zhey bring a growing threat of invasion in zheir wake. Ash is disruptive to Hazel's peaceful routine in more ways than just that: to his own astonishment, he's hopelessly attracted to the prickly, secretive Mancer. This might be the start of something precious...or the end of everything he holds dear.


Child of the Forest

Child of the Forest by Audrey Simmons

Even as bait, Neoma thought she would have a little more time to have fun with her best friends on Tour before things got serious. But Tobias’ words still ring in her ears. A chilling prophecy about tangled destinies, one that Tobias refused to expand on. Only a hint that a relationship with Luca will mean she never comes home. Almost as soon as the journey being Neoma is given yet another dire prophecy from the Mountain Herself: Hold close the stars in your soul or the Mad God will win this fight and chaos will reign. Neoma has a decision to make but the clock is ticking. Aurinkun warships have been spotted off the coast of Manena.


Natural Outlaws and Fractured Sovereignty

Natural Outlaws and Fractured Sovereignty by S.M. Pearce

A precarious royal court. Two thieves with everything to lose. Caught robbing the Governor’s mansion, Blythe is given a choice: steal the crown jewel of Ostrait’s greatest enemy, or her papa and friends all die. Forced undercover as a candidate in the Fletch King’s marital competition, she must survive the cut-throat court under the watchful eye of the Governor’s pet assassin. But how much of herself will this mission cost her? Kalen got her into this mess. And now they must keep their head down in the servants’ quarters, enduring their new superior’s brutality and confronted with the terrors of their past. It’s no longer as simple as crafting bombs and letting the fire do the work—there’s nowhere left to run, and his real talent seems to lie in screwing everything up. Can a martyr learn what it means to live? Can a coward learn what it means to fight? They’re only a pair of outcasts. Failures. Will the cruelties of court tear their friendship apart? Or can they salvage a future together in a world that doesn't want them? **This queerplatonic dark fantasy novel contains themes/subject matter intended for a mature audience.


Backmask

Backmask by O F Cieri

BACKMASK is written in the style of 60s horror pulp. Inspired by pop music history, BACKMASK is the fake history of a conspiracy theory surrounding the Satanic agenda to control children's minds. Nicholas Hush, 1960s record producer, has a vision for the future of pop music. After a series of prophetic dreams he wants to combine occult imagery with upcoming trends to create a new, groundbreaking look. His secretary, Valerie Chill, is tasked with finding consultants and funding while he crafts the perfect album. Quickly their project becomes entangled in other, larger machinations, and two teenage pop acts become responsible for international intrigue, brainwashing, and an occult massacre. Taking inspiration from the lives of Joe Meek, Phil Spector, and Timothy Leary, BACKMASK is a speculative look at how hidden messages got into pop music.


Lockdown Laureate

Lockdown Laureate by O F Cieri

A 22 tale collection, with 22 illustrations by Soren HĂ€xan. Dark, introspective, grimy, urban, strange. “Like a puddle of blood in a back alley of New York City that whispers to you of what could have been via a static-slathered Bluetooth connection
”


Lord of Thundertown

Lord of Thundertown by O F Cieri

In the movies, Thundertown was depicted like a real town, with boundaries, Folk-run businesses, and a government. In real life, Thundertown was a block here or there, three businesses on the same side of the street, an unconnected sewer main, or a single abandoned building. When an epidemic of missing person cases is on the rise, the police refuse to act. Instead, Alex Delatorre goes to Thundertown for answers and finds clues leading to a new Lord trying to unite the population. No one has seen the Lord, and the closer Alex gets to him, the farther Alex gets from his path home.


Last Train Home

Last Train Home by Sienna Eggler

Meike’s cozy train ride left them stranded in Glasend, a world where magic and man-eating plants are the norm. With their knowledge of botany and healing herbs, Meike aspires to become a reputable herbalist and mage. They make many friends along the way, including a quick-witted swordswoman, an axe wielding corgi, and other quirky characters. Later seasons explore magic and proper questing, and introduce monster taming. Updates weekly, on Thursdays!


Early Adopter

Early Adopter by Sienna Eggler

"But what if she doesn't want to be found?" Aided by their cybernetic eyes, private investigator Ryn Casler makes a living busting cheating spouses. While they’ll occasionally dabble in fraud and other typical cases, they don’t deal with the missing. Until the persistent Shae Winters, a police detective, approaches them about the disappearance of a young Black woman. Friction flies between detective and PI, as Shae insists on tagging along during the investigation. But as their search deepens and spills into the world of fantastical body mods, it becomes clear there’s more to this case than meets the eye.


Never Too Much

Never Too Much by Sienna Eggler

Romance was never a priority in Cyrille's life; her work on the local nature reserve came first. And compounded by her upbringing in a small town, finding a girlfriend seemed out of reach. "If it happens, it happens." But now that she's in her late 30's, Cyrille realizes it's better now than never. And a lot has changed over the last twenty years, leading to a steadily progressive attitude in town. A not yet out Cyrille braves a speed dating event, where she meets three potential partners: a childhood friend, a fellow park ranger, and a self-proclaimed "Goblin of the Forest." A hopeful Cyrille has one person in mind, but life is full of surprises. Never Too Much is a sapphic romance about an asexual lesbian navigating the dating scene, happy ending included.


Paper Daffodils: A Dawn & Rosie Adventure

Paper Daffodils: A Dawn & Rosie Adventure by Titania Tempest

Is it ever too late for a love story? Dawn Clermont certainly doesn’t think so. Rosie Bishop absolutely disagrees. The last place divorcee Rosie wants to be is on a Seniors Retreat in the Lake District. She’s determined not to have a good time, but an unexpected reunion with an old friend thwarts her plans. Her armour of bitterness proves no match for the spirited widow Dawn; dragged through a whirlwind of adventures and betrayed by her own sense of humour, Rosie soon realises she hasn’t got a hope of staying sullen. As Rosie clings to the remnants of her sarcasm, something about Dawn draws her closer than ever before. Soon, their bond threatens to run deeper, but is the possibility of budding romance worth risking their rekindled friendship?


Everything Is Wonderful Now

Everything Is Wonderful Now by Shane Blackheart

When Dark is good and Light is evil... Ten-year-old Sera is isolated and depressed; bullied at school and at home by her father. Her mind gives her no respite, suffering from a panic disorder and a second voice in her head that forces violent, intrusive thoughts. She meets the fallen angel Byleth one night while wanting to end her life. He isn't a fan of kids and intends to leave immediately, but Sera's aura catches his eye. It's dark, and it isn't from her trauma that pulls at his heartstrings. It's also attracted a corrupt angel who wants to rid the world of another Hellspawn child. Sera has a lot on her plate, but as she ages and transitions to Sean, a disabled trans man with C-PTSD, he not only meets more spirit guides from Hell, he realizes that his biggest threat has always been the 'other' that dwells in his own head.


Tamika Wood's Birthday Party

Tamika Wood's Birthday Party by Le Kendall

Follow the stories of Alan Sebastian Parker and his family as they navigate life, love, family and parenting, queerness and neurodivergence.


Merchants of Light and Bone

Merchants of Light and Bone by Erika McCorkle

Sorrow in paradise. A parent’s worst nightmare. When grief drives one to revenge. Living in a tropical paradise with his spouses and kids, Amiere is a merchant of light, a sculptor who carves glowing crystals into spectacular and powerful, demon-killing works of art. When the ground opens up near his idyllic village to reveal a massive supply of crystals, the whole nation of Aloutia celebrates. The merchants are guaranteed money for decades and officials predict Aloutia will be safe from demonkind for generations. But Amiere isn’t rejoicing—when the ground split apart, his seven-year-old daughter fell to her death. Amiere’s grief turns to rage when an old enemy returns to the village with a young daughter displaying signs of starvation and abuse. Having witnessed his own daughter’s death, Amiere cannot bear the thought of watching another child die, especially when he can prevent it. Unable to ask police for help due to the village’s reputation of hostility toward authority figures, Amiere takes matters into his own hands, even at the risk of being exiled and separated from his family forever.


Of Mycelium and Men

Of Mycelium and Men by William C. Tracy

SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

The generational fleet planned to make landfall after eighty years, but eleven planets and four centuries later, they still had not found a home. Finally, they landed on Lida, but something already lives there, and it's big. Agetha and her husband have spent their whole lives in the fleet’s zero-G. Now all is turmoil as the fleet lands, discovering they are surrounded by a single fungal biomass spanning the entire planet. To build a new home, the fleet must confront a dangerous organism, and Agetha must decide if she can raise a family in this inhospitable landscape. Jane Brighton holds tenuous command over the colony and its administrators. She and the other gene-modded leaders emerged from their four-hundred-year suspended animation to find a crew much different to the one that departed Old Earth. Jane must direct the colony’s fragile growth, and defend it against being overrun by the fast-growing biomass. But there is something none of the colonists know. The massive organism that spans the planet is not simply a fungal mass, nor even a chimerical combination of species that once roamed the planet. The biomass has desires and goals, and one is to know these strange beings carving out a home in its midst.


Redshift

Redshift by R.M. Olson

SPSFC 2022

It appears out of nowhere—one moment the sky is empty, the next, there’s a rent in the fabric of space itself. And nothing in the system will ever be the same. In the far reaches of the Rim Mountains, itinerant field-scientist Aran Romeu is searching desperately for the cure to an incurable disease—one that’s slowly killing his best friend. He’s sworn to do whatever it takes to find it. But when the portal opens, and something comes through, he realizes that ‘whatever it takes’ will involve travelling into the uncharted space beyond the portal. And he’s not the only one after the cure, and willing to do whatever it takes to get to it first 
 In the weighty halls of government, Chief Justice Alba Espina is preparing a political gamble that could change the shape of the system itself. The appearance of the portal shatters her carefully-laid plans and hands her political rival a weapon he could use destroy her—unless she can delay him with the promise of a diplomatic mission through the portal. But the stakes of the mission are higher than just her personal ambition. If her diplomatic mission doesn’t succeed, it might just spell the end of humanity itself. In a remote spaceport, Savina Moya, the system's most talented assassin-for-hire, is on the run again after her latest murder. But when a deadly government agent is sent after her, with instructions to bring her back dead or alive, the diplomatic mission heading into the portal may hold the key to Savina’s survival—if she’s brave enough, or desperate enough, to take it. No one knows what’s beyond the portal. And as the three of them are drawn inexorably together in uncharted space, with no idea who is an ally and who is an enemy—it’s an open question if any of them will live long enough to find out.


Star Marque Rising

Star Marque Rising by Shami Stovall

SPSFC 2022

The future is governed through a genetic hierarchy—superhumans at the top, humans and defects at the bottom. Welcome to an all-new military science fiction novel from critically-acclaimed author Shami Stovall. Clevon Demarco, a genetically modified human, has a cocksure attitude and the combat skills to back it up. With his unparalleled skills, he makes his living as a ruthless gunrunner on a shady space station near the edges of the quadrant. Stronger, faster, and wittier than most sad sacks, no one even comes close to Demarco’s abilities—until he crosses paths with the captain of the notorious Star Marque, Endellion Voight. Captain Voight arrests Demarco and offers him a choice: go to a prison planet for his crimes, or join her starship, the Star Marque, working as mercenaries for the superhumans. But she didn't pick him at random. She has a plan to become a planet governor; a title no human has held since the superhumans won the war. It doesn’t matter the cost—assassinations, extortion, blackmail—she’s determined to claw her way to the top. All Captain Voight needs is Demarco’s help to carry out her machinations, and she’ll give him everything he’s ever wanted in return. A fast-paced space opera for those who enjoy Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, or anything by Robert A. Heinlein.


The Left Hand of Dog

The Left Hand of Dog by Si Clarke

SPSFC 2022

Escaping intergalactic kidnappers has never been quite so ridiculous. When Lem and her faithful dog, Spock, retreat from the city for a few days of hiking in Algonquin Park, the last thing they expect is to be kidnapped by aliens. No, scratch that. The last thing they expect is to be kidnapped by a bunch of strangely adorable intergalactic bounty hunters aboard a ship called the Teapot. After Lem falls in with an unlikely group of allies – including a talking horse, a sarcastic robot, an overly anxious giant parrot, and a cloud of sentient glitter gas – the gang must devise a cunning plan to escape their captors and make it back home safely. But things won’t be as easy as they first seem. Lost in deep space and running out of fuel, this chaotic crew are faced with the daunting task of navigating an alien planet, breaking into a space station, and discovering the real reason they’re all there
 Packed with preposterous scenarios, quirky characters, and oodles of humour, The Left Hand of Dog tackles complex subjects such as gender, the need to belong, and the importance of honest communication. Perfect for fans of Charlie Jane Anders’ Victories Greater than Death and The Long Way to a Small by Becky Chambers – especially ones who enjoy endless references to Red Dwarf, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. This book will show you that the universe is a very strange place indeed.


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