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Word Count: 7700
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: A lion sleeps in the hearts of brave men. When Prince Theodorin refuses to wed the general's youngest son because he loves another, he is trapped on a cursed island. He spends his days trying to escape, his nights listening to his lover’s soothing voice echoing through the forest. His attempts to escape only lead back to where he started… until an encounter with a lion reveals a crack in the illusion. Theo has to believe, or he may never find his way home. ___________________________ Previously appeared in Wilde City Press' Bedtime Stories anthology
Word Count: 26000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Wilderness tour guide, Patrick Morgan, wakes to discover Harlan Quinn—the man he’d invited home for the night—has left, with no traces of his presence. Disconcerting as that might be, Patrick is shocked when the police turn up a week later, demanding to know Harlan’s whereabouts. He’s an ex-patrol officer, accused of manslaughter. Harlan Quinn is desperate. Not only has he been dismissed from the Space Patrol, on a charge he strongly denies, but now he is on the run. He can’t find a legitimate job. With no money and no prospects, what’s left? When Patrick’s tour group is caught up in a kidnapping plot, the last person he expects to run into is Harlan. With everything he knows, can Patrick dare to trust him?
Word Count: 54750
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: DOA becomes BRB when this client goes MIA… When I agreed to accompany my selkie boyfriend on a private boat trip, I didn’t realize the invitation included a swim. In the Pacific. In November. Naked. And I certainly didn’t expect to have our swim derailed the instant I got in the water—holy crap, that’s c-c-cold—by a literal boatload of selkie clan leaders. Climbing out of the water in front of them—did I mention naked? Yeah, way to make a brilliant first impression. Then things get worse: I get served. Not in the metaphorical sense, either. Nope, I’m being sued. By Death. Well, not Death precisely, but an Ankou—a Celtic psychopomp who escorts the departed to their final destinations. This guy is miffed that his workload has increased exponentially, which he blames on my actions in Sheol on an earlier case. I’m not about to take the heat when eons of shady demon shenanigans finally come home to roost, but here at Quest Investigations, we aid any and all supernatural folk in need—especially if they’ll drop their specious lawsuits against the agency’s lone human. When the Ankou skips out on us, though, all hell breaks loose. Because without anyone to lead them on, the dearly departed become nearly departed and stick around to party hearty. Now it’s not just the selkie leaders complicating my love life—it’s the ex-living as well. And when one of the ex-living decides not to remain ex? Things get really complicated, not to mention deadly. Dammit. Death on Denial is the fourth in the Quest Investigations M/M 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 a romance. The series is best read in order.
Word Count: 5618
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Gavin and Matthew just want to get home to enjoy Christmas Eve in their safe, warm apartment. Should they walk or take a cab? But will either option do the trick when Victor, suffering from his holiday blahs, is determined to undermine this happy twosome at every turn? Years ago, Victor made the unfortunate mistake of coming out to his family on Christmas. Why couldn’t he have picked a random summer day? Can Victor’s husband Bryan pull him out of his gloomy mood in order to give the popular Gavin and Matthew the merry Christmas they deserve? Keywords: writer with holiday blahs/blues killing off characters...or not, Christmas, fun sweaters, short story, supportive family
Word Count: 7440
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Brett, one of the few survivors of Sandman’s Dream, infecting most of humanity, is secretly in love with his best friend, Ivan. When Ivan becomes infected, will Brett be forced to abandon him to the Dream, or will he fight for one he loves?
Word Count: 99594
Character Identities: Bisexual, Demisexual
Summary: When Detective George Donovan and his eccentric partner, Detective Andi Hayes, need a break from their gruesome job, a hike seems like just the thing. Unfortunately, the job catches up with them when they find three dead men in a lake. When the promising clues dry up, George and Andi turn once more to Andi’s “gift”—but this time things aren’t so easy. Andi’s mysterious talents are growing stronger, making it harder to block out the barrage of information and taking a toll on his physical and mental health. The cryptic clues his informants offer are even more bizarre than the case itself. And the more they discover about the victims, the more uncomfortable the investigation becomes. Torn between catching a killer and serving justice, between George’s career and Andi’s sanity, the detectives have their work cut out for them if they’re going to solve these murders.
Word Count: 75000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Marek Stetina is so close to getting called up to majors, he can taste it. Maybe he wasn’t a number one draft pick like his brother, and maybe he’ll never be a Hall of Famer like his father, but he’s almost made it. Right up until a serious injury puts his hockey dreams—major league or otherwise—on ice. Up-and-coming MMA star Carson Wrede’s career—hell, his entire life—has been off the rails ever since a mishap during a fight put him in the hospital. Now he’s trying to find his balance again, both literally and figuratively. With each passing day, his chances of returning to the cage grow slimmer… as do his chances of paying that growing pile of medical bills. Maybe a TBI support group isn’t the most romantic place to meet someone, but Marek and Carson can’t complain. While their worlds seem to be crumbling around them, they lean on each other through endless setbacks and frustration. But is this just two guys helping each other through a tough time? Or is the connection between them real, honest love? And is that love enough to see them through some unavoidable decisions about the careers they once lived for? The Games We Play is a multi-author minor league hockey romance series! All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season, and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere!
Word Count: 85,000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: All Keiron wants is a quiet life. Fat chance with a boyfriend like Bren. But if he thought Bren complicated his life, that was nothing compared to the complications that begin when he opens the door to what he thinks is a naked boy claiming to be his slave. Draven is a fairy with his sights set on the handsome human who keeps a wild place in the garden for fairies. When Draven slips through a fairy gate into the city, he sets in motion a series of events that binds him to Keiron forever, and just might be the end of him. While Draven explores Keiron’s world with wide-eyed wonder, Keiron does everything he can to keep Draven’s at bay, until the only way to save Draven and bring him home is to step into a world that should exist only in children stories.
Word Count: 60000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: In modern-day Iceland, a place of glaciers, volcanoes, and legends, the Norns have foretold a sorcerous invasion that could destroy everything. MAGNÚS, an elf of the huldufólk, is driven by the murder of his human lover a century ago to save those humans he can, and to figure out what is behind recent troll attacks on tourists. But the Norns have spoken. He must protect ALTAIR, a young human from Boston, who is bringing a dangerous magical force to Iceland. If Magnús fails to keep Altair safe, the country will fall to a sorcerer called the Black Priest. Yet if Altair lives, Magnús will meet his doom. For his part, Altair is a graduate student bullied to visit Iceland by mentors who seem to have their own agenda. He knows nothing of elves, sorcerers or prophecies. Suddenly, the handsome, mysterious Magnús is guiding Altair around Reykjavik and into danger. A witch, a berserker, and more elves are along for the quest across Iceland’s forbidding landscape. And why does everyone keeps calling Altair “the Falcon”? An elf and a human with a shared destiny. Will they solve the mystery linking their fates before it is too late for all Iceland?
Word Count: 81385
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Everything was empty. Not literally. My apartment was still filled with the remnants of my life with Austin. That was the problem. The things were there. Austin wasn’t, and he never would be again. Twenty years of love ended in an instant the night a drunk driver hit Del Nethercott’s partner Austin. In his grief, Del has pushed away most of his friends and is barely existing. Austin would want him to go on living, but how can he without the love of his life? Over the next few months, Del finds his way into his new reality with the help of Austin’s drag sister Remy, a sweater-wearing cat named Charlie… and Lochlan, a man hiding a supernatural secret. As Del works through his grief, he and Lochlan grow closer, until Del realizes he feels more than friendship for the other man. Only months after losing Austin, Del isn’t ready to love again. But maybe he’s ready to hope. This book has a main character who has lost his life partner and depicts his grieving process. It includes discussions of child abuse and child death, suicide, and homophobia and transphobia. But it also includes an adorable cat who wears sweaters.
Word Count: 19884
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Shakespeare-loving teacher Elliot Dunn has been unhappy living in the big city for a long time. He yearns for fresh air, visible stars, and stillness, but his relationship with divorce lawyer Mick Hudson keeps him from moving away. When a dramatic event occurs in Elliot’s class, he’s shaken to his core and suddenly can’t stay anymore. He leaves his partner of two years behind and returns to the tiny town in the mountains where he grew up. Living in a rented cabin in the woods, with only an owl for company, Elliot slowly regains his peace of mind. But being away from Mick is agonizing, and when a ghost from Elliot's past pays him a visit, everything comes to a head. Elliot is faced with a hard decision. Should he stay on the stress-free mountainside alone, or return to the hustle of the city and try to make a life with Mick?
Word Count: 21000
Character Identities: Lesbian, Pansexual
Summary: Aurora Rose slumbers in the city of Oldpass, a cursed kingdom once allied with Grimvein. The victim of a malicious spell, she is powerless to control her own fate. At least, that’s how the story goes. Now, as Grimvein faces attack, Prince Amir has been tasked with the life-threatening rescue of Aurora, his parents hopeful he will marry the princess and secure safety for their kingdom. Talia, the strongest spell-caster in the known lands, protects and guides the prince in his quest to save a woman that threatens to change their lives forever. In finding Aurora, the pair will realise the truth about themselves and each other, coming to understand just what – and who – they really want in life.
Word Count: 17000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay, Non Binary
Summary: On Canada Day, Undead Canadian Kit, his husband, Edward, and their friend Kamaria to go see the fireworks. While there, Kamaria sees words written in the sky—Help Me. Realizing the fireworks must be involved somehow, Kit steals the ones that look out of place. The ghost responsible for the message refuses to appear while Kit is nearby, but Edward and Kamaria learn the fireworks are blended with the ashes of a deceased woman. The woman, Rose, convinces them to return her ashes to her wife, Petra—so Kit, Kamaria, and Edward head off on a road trip.
Word Count: 50750
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: 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 a romance.
Word Count: 100000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: When the eligible Eddy Hawkstone enlists Jack Merrit's services to recover a stolen book, it seems like a straightforward task. However, the clues lead Jack into the turbulent world of the music hall, where he uncovers the unnerving tale of his father's death at the feet of Marie Lloyd. Desperate to prove himself to his mentor, Jimmy Wright, Jack finds himself entangled in a web of sexual temptation, loyalty, and fraternal bonds, all while grappling with his emotions for Larkin Chase. To triumph, Jack must confront the shadows of his past and embrace the realities of the present. The path is fraught with danger and self-discovery and leads him to a twisting theatrical climax worthy of a melodrama. Follow the Van is the third book in the Delamere Files series. The books should be read in order.
Word Count: 15373
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: A scrying stone says after his gift is destroyed, a famous songwriter will fall in love. Will the stone’s prediction come true? Glass artist Ashton Snell is delighted when superstar singer/songwriter Hunter Davidson walks into his shop looking for a gift for a friend. On a whim Ashton looks through a scrying glass to see what’s in store for Hunter in the future. The stone shows a vision of the glass unicorn gift shattering and Hunter falling in love. Should Ashton tell Hunter what he’s seen? Before he can decide, Hunter asks him to lunch. Ashton agrees although he’s surprised someone as celebrated as Hunter would want to be seen with him. Despite living with it since birth, Ashton is still self-conscious about his limp. Hunter, however, doesn’t seem to notice it. Could their lunch be the beginning of a lasting friendship? Or will their attraction turn into something more?
Word Count: 30,228
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Everything about thirty-five-year-old Stone Acres hardware store owner Frank McCord is old-fashioned -- from his bow tie and overalls to the way he happily makes house calls. He dreams of lasting romance, true love, and marriage. Frank’s ancestors have run the store and been mainstays in the small California town for over a century. While genial Frank upholds tradition and earns the respect of friends and neighbors, he fears he’s too dull and old to attract a husband. Maybe it’s time to break out of his mold. Then handsome thirty-six-year-old electronic games designer Christopher Darling and his fifteen-year-old son, Henry, come into his life. Christopher has everything Frank could want in a potential partner: charm, kindness, and compatibility. Also, he’s a terrific father to Henry. When their Stone Acres home turns out to be uninhabitable, Frank offers the Darlings temporary lodging in his ancestral farmhouse, where he and his tenant Emil reside. Since Emil thinks Frank is his, sparks fly. Suddenly, Frank’s monotonous life promises to explode with love and change him forever.
Rainbow Award Honorable Mention book.
Word Count: 34000
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Let me get this straight. You’re making a programme about haunted houses and you don’t believe in ghosts? Cash-strapped artist Adam Price is the owner of Greystones Hall, an ancient manor house he shares with a plethora of ghosts. He adores the place, but life is a constant battle to pay the bills and he’s lonely, too, following the death of his beloved grandfather two years earlier. Lonely, that is, until the Ghosts Galore crew offer to film an episode at Greystones Hall. Adam’s a bit dubious about letting them loose in his home, but allows himself to be persuaded by the fee they’ll be paying him. Led by handsome producer Carl, dotty medium Stella and pleasant-but-nondescript historian Guy, they fill the house with wiring, cameras, lights and people. But when filming starts, things soon go wrong. The crew turn out to be using dodgy tricks. Carl refuses to believe in ghosts in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. And Stella stirs up a new and malevolent spirit, more dangerous than any that have been known at Greystones Hall before, who seems to have a violent dislike of Adam’s art. As Carl and Stella disappear and the local vicar is powerless to help, Adam turns to Guy—who has a secret of his own—for help. Together they must solve a centuries-old mystery involving lost paintings, a priest hole, and a death that might have caused all the negative energy in the house. But that’s not all the pair discover, on a night of adventure that also brings unexpected romance...
Word Count: 47000
Character Identities: Ace, Bisexual, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Non Binary
Summary: In the middle of a training trip, Keeska's shuttle navigation fails and strands Keeska on Earth—alone, no way to contact home, and with no chance of help from the locals...until one does. When Eric starts leaving food in front of an abandoned storefront in the crappy strip mall by his house, he thought he was helping a dog or a homeless kid. He gets the shock of his life when he discovers an alien instead. Not sure what else to do, especially with the alien bleeding and in shock, Eric realizes he's about to have an unusual houseguest. But as Keeska's health improves, they both forget that Keeska should probably be finding a way home. As they grow increasingly close, they are forced to figure out the answers to questions they never thought would have to be asked...
Word Count: 12800
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: One snowy evening, a car wreck in front of his toy store triggers terrible memories for Jake. Suddenly, he is in the midst of another winter storm—and another accident, one that not everyone walked away from. When he returns to the present, Jake is on the ground, being watched over by a guardian angel in the form of a kind man named Eli. Eli is no stranger to panic attacks and PTSD, and he’s happy to help Jake get home—where the weather forces him to remain for the night. For Jake, it could be the first step toward a life free from fear and loneliness. This is a second edition. No significant changes have been made from the first edition.
