fantasy – gods & heroes

Word Count: Click here to reveal16059 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealLesbian (Click here to hide)

Summary: A seer claimed Lirya would never know the touch of a man. She never expected to find true love. The goddess Lirya expected a life of solitude when she moved to the wilderness, settling in a cavern beneath the great Kulanji mountain. Content with her life there, Lirya didn't pay much attention to what she might be missing, until Naji entered her life. A being born of magic, the crane shifter barely escaped the hunters alive. When Lirya finds her hiding out in the cavern, the goddess is surprised, and offers to treat Naji's wound. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship that might lead to more, as Lirya realises that love can take many forms. The Goddess and the Crane is a romantic lesbian and interracial paranormal romance novella of around 16,000 words, and the first book in the Sapphic Legends series. Please note: This story appeared in Beating Hearts: A LGBTQIA+ Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Anthology.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal86720 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: The final war is on the horizon. Years ago Renaldo would have said all is fair in love and war. Now he’s sure nothing is. His husband, Casto, has left him, and without his touchstone, Renaldo cannot control his powers. The loss could not come at a worse time. The Good Mother and her followers are stretching out in a power grab, dividing the forces of the Gods of War and putting their victory in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Casto has reached the ancient city of Quell’renar, where raw magic has been burned so deeply into the fabric of creation that no one can stay for any length of time. Delving into the past the city reveals to him shows Casto that he and Renaldo are not so different. But even if he accepts his role as Renaldo’s heart, there’s a long way to go before he’ll find any peace. Because Quell’renar itself is speaking to him, driving him to the brink of insanity….

Word Count: Click here to reveal104,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary:

Word Count: Click here to reveal104,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary:

Word Count: Click here to reveal36000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Aromantic, Bisexual, Demigender, Demisexual, Gay, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Intersex, Lesbian, Non Binary, Questioning, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Straight, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: INK (NOUN) Five definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) A colored fluid used for writing 2) The action of signing a deal 3) A black liquid ejected by squid 4) Publicity in the written media 5) A slang word for tattoos Ink features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Word Count: Click here to reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Staging a musical in Purgatory can be absolute hell. Lonnie Coleridge last saw the sun in 1968. Since then, he’s been consigned to Limbo, still wearing the same tie-dyed T-shirt and bell-bottomed jeans he had on when he left his life behind. He and others like him have one chance each year at redemption: produce a show for the Greek pantheon. Whoever pleases this very specific—and temperamental—fan group could earn the right to move on. But after a literal act of god (*cough* Hermes *cough*) destroys their sets, lights, and costumes, the company needs emergency help to rebuild. Without it, all of them could poof out of existence forever. Out-of-work theater technician TD Baylor has precisely three things on his cosmic wish list: a job, a place to stay, and a boyfriend who isn’t a total tool. He thinks he’s got the first two nailed when he gets a line on a two-week gig that includes room and board. So what if the job tip came from a guy who was leaning way too hard into the LOTR cosplay at a sketchy Halloween pop-up? At this point, TD doesn’t have anything more to lose, so he figures…what the hell. He didn’t realize hell was the operative word. When Lonnie greets him at the theater door, though...whoa. TD fantasizes that item number three could be within his reach. But then Lonnie gives him the bad news: This is Purgatory Playhouse, aka Theater of the Darned. In two weeks—if they’re lucky and can successfully mount a musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—the company will return to Limbo after the curtain falls. If they’re not lucky? Remember that part about hell? Purgatory Playhouse is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains a theater techie who’s one couch surf away from homeless, a production assistant who’s sort of, um, not alive, Greek gods behaving very badly indeed, and a guaranteed HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal141270 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: The battle to protect the Lycans from a vindictive Goddess waits on the horizon.   Tristan, Ushna, and Brian have meticulously prepared for the day they face Inanna and Marduk, but they must rely on their inner circle if they are to win the day. Ushna needs to embrace his destiny and be transformed by Tiamat. But he returns with a mind fractured by a primordial god’s consciousness and needs a firebird’s help, or he’ll be lost. If he is, so too is the balance Brian and Tristan sorely need. Tristan has vowed to care for his ex-Flame who is doomed to forget more and more with each use of his new ability. Adding to his burden, Tristan must free the warriors stolen by the government and devise a trap for Inanna. Brian fears nothing more than losing Ushna and Tristan again. To prevent that fate, he recklessly devises a preemptive strike, but his actions might not only cost him his life, but Stan’s as well. As for the inner circle… With them, Tristan might be victorious. Without them, Tristan will fail and the Lycans will fall to Inanna, who is determined to release a long-forgotten chaos monster and bring about the end of the world.

Word Count: Click here to reveal103456 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Years ago, Ushna barely weathered the crushing loss of his Twin Flame. But losing Tristan just might destroy him. In the wake of birth and betrayal, Ushna takes the God Ashur to Tristan in a last desperate bid to save Tristan's life—and is helpless to do anything but watch as Ashur instead buries him in a grave. Though he has no desire to go on living, having now lost Brian and Tristan, Ushna has no choice. Not only do their children need him, the mysterious Simurgh has come out of hiding and forces him to continue on—for there is much to do and little time to do it, especially with treachery and danger closing in on them from every side. Author’s Note: Sumeria's Sons is a paranormal urban fantasy that slowly unveils the lost myths and legends of the modern day Lycan people. This series does eventually features a poly relationship and includes mpreg.

Word Count: Click here to reveal49112 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: In nine days' time, Tristan will birth the heirs of the Seat of Zeev and life couldn't be more hectic or dangerous for him and Ushna. Tristan has agreed to bond with Ushna, but there is still much to do. Returning to Tribe Enkidu puts everyone on edge, and Tristan is being stalked like prey. It doesn't help that he fights depression as he mourns the loss of Nikita, or that claiming his birthright becomes a battle of wills with the Elder Council. The pleading of his adoptive daughter only adds to the oppressive feeling. Stumbling onto a secret prison while searching for Ushna leads Tristan to risk everything to free a lost God. But breaking the bond to his Twin Flame all those years ago has more repercussions than Tristan knew, and the assistance of a forgotten Goddess and a centuries-old lover may not be enough to save him. Author’s Note: This includes the Sumeria’s Sons Interlude: A Child’s Wish. Sumeria's Sons is a paranormal urban fantasy that slowly unveils the lost myths and legends of the modern day Lycan people. This series does eventually features a poly relationship and includes mpreg.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62836 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: With each passing day the challenges grow and the dangers multiply. For Tristan and Ushna, nothing comes easy. The safe home they are building for their family and tribe is threatened from all sides, and the peace they seek is being torn apart by enemies and internal strife. Tristan dares not reveal his condition to any but those closest to him, all the while he's plagued by dreams he cannot remember upon waking... Over it all hangs the knowledge that his time with Ushna is running out. Ushna already has a Flame awaiting rebirth, and though Tristan would die to protect that bond, he constantly struggles against his beast who demands they bind Ushna to their side for all time. Author’s Note: This includes the Sumeria’s Sons Interlude: Starting Fires. Sumeria's Sons is a paranormal urban fantasy that slowly unveils the lost myths and legends of the modern day Lycan people. This series does eventually feature an mpreg relationship, but it is not the sole focus of the plot.

Word Count: Click here to reveal49000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Tristan will do what is necessary to protect his consort and tribe, even if it means defying a goddess. Thrust into the role of Prince of the Lycans, Tristan strives to find his footing in a life suddenly rife with secrets and lies—and danger. Betrayed by a Goddess meant to safeguard him, desperate to protect his consort, tribe, and unborn child, he struggles with the constant changes even as he grabs on to hope for a better future. Finally Tristan thinks he has everything under control, but little does he know the worst is yet to come.   Author’s Note: This includes the Sumeria’s Sons Interlude: A New Beginning. Sumeria's Sons is a paranormal urban fantasy that slowly unveils the lost myths and legends of the modern day Lycan people. This series does eventually feature an mpreg relationship, but it is not the sole focus of the plot.

Word Count: Click here to reveal121000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A child’s memory. A journey’s end. Lance doesn’t remember the time before Ulfr found him. It’s a dark pit in his mind that he avoids at all costs. And yet, despite his best efforts, pieces start to fall, and echoes from the past begin to ring. However, he has little time to comprehend their meaning, since the Captain of the Imperial Army herself has come to collect him and bring him to the capital city of the Nifdem Empire. Whisked away to the gilded streets and glittering court of the Hill of Tarran, and then to the snowy reaches of Swenen, Lance and Gust will learn the answers to questions they’ve had from the start. And be forced to acknowledge their roles in the survival of the empire and the ripple effects of their actions. But such knowledge can come at a steep price. As allies and enemies begin to step from the shadows, Lance will learn the truth of his past and the price of his redemption, and all the pain that comes with them. While Gust will have to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to safeguard the one he loves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Betrayed and broken, Tristan never thought he would find love again. A Lycan descendant of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Tristan is not as extraordinary as his ancestors. He is an average warrior, unremarkable throughout. But this fact does not trouble him because he has found his Twin Flame, the one person destined to be his, who will love him unconditionally, life after life. Then his Flame betrays him, leaving him shattered and dying. Brokenhearted, Tristan dissolves the sacred bond and leaves. His best friend, Ushna, accompanies him, vowing to guard and protect him, and Tristan slowly comes to realize that love does not require a sacred bond. But if he hopes to keep the love he chooses, he will have to face the magical force that swirls deep inside him. Together, Tristan and Ushna will confront ancient secrets, lies, mythical creatures, and the return of absent gods… Note: Sumeria's Sons is a paranormal urban fantasy that slowly unveils the lost myths and legends of the modern day Lycan people. This series does eventually feature an mpreg relationship, but it is not the sole focus of the plot. This book was previously released by another publisher. Only light editing changes have been made to this book.

Word Count: Click here to reveal92000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A tragic secret. A trial of pain. Gust holds a secret close to his heart, and it festers like an infected wound. While part of him wants to tell Lance so they can deal with it together, he fears what it will do to his friend. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the man he is falling in love with. And it never seems the right time as they pursue Ulfr’s warriors and elude hunting parties of royal soldiers. Lance wants nothing more than to confess his love and undying loyalty to Gust. But he fears rejection. He has Gust’s friendship and dares not ask for more. He’s not yet a man worthy to ask for more. And as he continues on his self-imposed mission to cut down Ulfr’s warriors, he begins to wonder if he will ever find the redemption he so fiercely seeks. When word of a new Scourge reaches them, their journey brings them to the war-ravaged kingdom of Grekenus. It is there that Lance is forced to face the actions of his past, and once again his life hangs in the balance. Now it is only Gust who can defend him against those thirsty for blood… and to Lance himself.

Word Count: Click here to reveal8400 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealPansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: Davi is the world’s greatest thief. Just ask him, and he will provide hours of tales as proof. So, naturally, when another thief boasts of a plan to rob the temple of Kai the Formless, god of thieves, Davi decides that this honor cannot go to anyone less worthy than himself. Especially since his lover was there during the boasting, and he was not going to be outdone in front of her, no matter how great the risk.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A baby’s laughter. A mind uncaged. Lance is known as Scourge, the warrior in the black armor, the dog of the warlord Ulfr Blackwolf. He was just a boy when Ulfr found him and molded him into the perfect weapon. He slaughters and pillages on command, merciless and numb, devoid of emotions. Then a baby girl laughs at him during a raid. And everything changes. When Gust, a talented healer, is out deer hunting and stumbles across a magnificent horse bearing a mortally wounded rider, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Gust applies all his skills to his patient, determined to save the rider’s life, and is rewarded when the man opens his eyes. As friendship, and more, bloom between warrior and healer, so does the danger over the horizon. Ulfr has not forgotten, and Lance must take his first steps on the long road to redemption.

Word Count: Click here to reveal70000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: With a serial killer on the loose, the baffling mystery of Aiden’s past, and their tenuous budding romance, Aiden and Fouchard tread through a world of magic and myth on padded shoes, terrified to stir up something neither can control or defeat. Aiden Mercer’s life now centers around lounging on the sunny beaches of his adopted country with a beer in one hand and a coffee in the other while admiring the local male population. After a rough life as a respected detective in DC, playing it cool shouldn’t be too hard, right? With the magical community on his case and dead bodies piling up around town, the responsibility of finding their killer seems fated to fall on him and deny him of his easy living. Then there is Naël. Cantankerous merman Naël Fouchard's life is focused on bringing up and protecting his little sister. When DNA found at the scene of the murders mark him as the prime suspect, Naël seeks out the help of Aiden, whose reputation as a detective grossly belies his lazy lifestyle and apparent lack of ambition. The chemistry between the strong, stoic Naël and the easygoing Aiden is undeniable, no matter how many walls Aiden builds. If this unlikely pair can’t come to terms with their feelings for each other long enough to catch the killer, their emotional turmoil might yet allow the murderer to kill them instead.

Word Count: Click here to reveal117000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: Owyn had learned one lesson early – no one wanted him. Then he discovered that he was the Fireborn, and in an instant went from nameless slave to one of the most important people in the world. One of the most sought after. And one of the most hunted. Faced with a tantalizing link to his own unknown past, and the growing fear that the promised haven may be nothing more than a pretty trap, Owyn must learn to stand on his own in a race against treachery and time. He has to uncover the truth…. A truth that might destroy his hopes for a future.

Word Count: Click here to reveal36000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Bisexual, Gay, Genderfluid, Intersex, Lesbian, Non Binary, Polyamorous, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: MI-GRA-TION (Noun) 1) Seasonal movement of animals from one region to another. 2) Movement of people to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions. 3) Movement from one part of something to another. Three definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 120 of our favorites. Migration feaures 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Word Count: Click here to reveal46,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: A dirty and dangerous ride through the underbelly of the supernatural world.