Fantasy - Fairy Tale / Folklore Genre

Word Count: Click here to reveal82000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Callie, a Classics major, flees home to protect her family from a monster straight out of mythology. Visions lead her to Nectar and Ambrosia: the weirdest pub on Earth, where inter-dimensional travelers with attention seeking issues get drunk in between the A-list celebrity lives they create. They can't pretend to be gods anymore—not since a treaty with the current Supreme Deity promising they won't intervene in human affairs. The Doorkeeper of this threshold, Florian, rides herd on the rowdy Amaranthine and offers her shelter and a job. Callie likes the lonely, mysterious bartender more than she should. For Florian, her presence is a ray of light in the gray monotony of his sentence behind the bar, but he keeps a cautious distance—the truth of how he became Doorkeeper could change Callie's perception of him forever. When angels show up for a war council over Zeus's irrational mutters about a comeback, Callie has uncontrolled visions of an apocalypse. Ex-gods realize she’s the first Oracle Priestess in generations. All Callie wanted was keep her parents safe, and now it seems she must sacrifice her future to keep the rest of humanity safe, too. Ambrosia could be the key to harnessing her visions— or it could cost her life. War is coming. The threshold between worlds has never been more fragile. Callie must discover who is pulling Zeus's strings and avert the final battle—before the immortal vying to become the next Supreme Deity kills her first.

Word Count: Click here to reveal150000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Shrike, the Butcher of Blackthorn, is a legendary warrior of the fae realms. When he wins a tournament in the Court of the Silver Wheel, its queen names him her Oak King - a figurehead destined to die in a ritual duel to invoke the change of seasons. Shrike is determined to survive. Even if it means he must put his heart as well as his life into a mere mortal’s hands. Wren Lofthouse, a London clerk, has long ago resigned himself to a life of tedium and given up his fanciful dreams. When a medieval-looking brute arrives at his office to murmur of destiny, he’s inclined to think his old enemies are playing an elaborate prank. Still, he can’t help feeling intrigued by the bizarre-yet-handsome stranger and his fantastical ramblings, whose presence stirs up emotions Wren has tried to lock away in the withered husk of his heart. As Shrike whisks Wren away to a world of Wild Hunts and arcane rites, Wren is freed from the repression of Victorian society. But both the fae and mortal realms prove treacherous to their growing bond. Wren and Shrike must fight side-by-side to see who will claim victory - Oak King or Holly King.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81383 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A tennis match? Starting a war between the Duchy of Avann and the Kingdom of the Westlands?   Only in a fairy tale.   When Prince Henry hurts a young ball boy who told him Danilo’s ball was inside the line, Danilo’s response is automatic. Punch the prince’s face, pick him up left-handed, and break the royal jaw. Unfortunately, there’s another “automatic” at work in the Westlands: a death sentence for whoever strikes royalty.   King Hiram can’t—won’t—change the rule of law to rule by royal whim. But he grants the Heir of Avann fifteen days to find words which will persuade him to let Danilo live.   In those fifteen days:  Magick. The gods, goddesses and gender-fluid deities on Deity Lane. Kilvar, the assassin. A wallet which opens in a bank vault. A mysterious old man. The Lady of All. The Magickal Hand writing, rewriting. A fairy tale within a fairy tale. A huge horse called Brute. And at the end...perhaps the right words and a most unexpected love. Plus a deity-supplied dinner with just the right amount of garlic.   81,383 words of story.

Word Count: Click here to reveal19000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Scott Baxter is a workaholic with no time for love, until a djinn pulls him out of his life and deposits him into the bed of Cameron Kirk. Cut off from his life, Scott isn’t happy about the idea of being forced to help the djinn grant an unspecified wish, but he soon finds he has no real choice in the matter. The djinn who has turned his life upside down has powers that prevent Scott from leaving and ensure he does nothing to ruin Cameron’s day with his ‘husband’. Reluctant at first, Scott finds that as the day progresses he starts to enjoy playing the role of Cameron’s husband. He connects with his unexpected lover in a way he never has with other men. Scott searches for clues to help him track down Cameron after the day is over and he returns to his own life. He doesn’t want the day to end, but the wish is out of his control and when the magic is finished his time with Cameron may be over too.

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

Summary: Alpha werewolf Eli Hammond returns from a fishing trip to discover a nasty surprise—five members of his pack murdered and the rest missing. He needs help locating and rescuing his pack mates, but the supernatural council in Asheville, North Carolina, turns him away. Except for one man. As they work together, Eli is stunned—and not especially thrilled—to discover half-elf Arden Gilmarin is his destined mate. But as Arden and his friends struggle to help Eli in his quest, Eli surrenders to the demands of his body—and his heart. They’ll need to bond together, because the forces opposing them are stronger and more sinister than anyone predicted. The evil has its sights set on Arden, and if Eli wants to save his mate and the people he is entrusted with protecting, he’s in for the fight of his life.

Word Count: Click here to reveal23000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When John the woodcutter realises he is about to lose the love of his life, he seeks out the wicked witch of the Enchanted Forest, hoping to buy a love potion to win his lover back. The witch refusing to help is only the start of his problems, for—on the stroke of midnight—the witch’s cottage vanishes from the Enchanted Forest with him in it. Mathias is the grandson of a wicked witch and, like his mother and grandmother, he is cursed to be trapped in the cottage in a desolate wasteland for the rest of his life. He and the cottage only return to the Enchanted Forest on Midsummer Day each year. The last thing he needs is an unexpected house guest. Thrown together for a year, the spark between the two men soon ignites into passion, but can John live the rest of his life in a prison and would Mat even ask him to?

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

Summary: From when he was a boy, Joe Talbot knew that there were other creatures out there. He even geared his college degree so he could prove to his parents — and maybe the world — some myths were true. Rod please-don’t-use-my-full-name Macintosh had to fight his family for them to believe that he didn’t want to leave the lake permanently. Yes, it’s a parent’s job to make their children self-sufficient but why couldn’t he do that where he grew up? Besides, his Ness kept telling Rod to be patient, that their mate would come back to them. Can love be more important to Joe than revealing myths? Rod hopes so because his Ness won’t have another, and he didn’t think he could live without his Ness.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Colin Everroad should be dead, but after his lobster boat founders during a violent storm off the Maine coast, he wakes up on a beach. He’s cold, but unscathed… with strange memories of a face he can’t conjure and a voice he doesn’t recognize. No one can explain it, but a friend suggests Colin was saved by one of the mer. Except the mer don’t exist. Do they? But… that face. That voice. Someone was in the water with him. Someone saved him. If not a mer, then who? And whoever it was, Colin wants to see his face. Lir broke protocol by rescuing a land person, but he couldn’t just let the man drown. When he disobediently resurfaces to see his beautiful land man, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he’s forbidden to leave the depths again. One clandestine visit turns into more. Soon, Colin and Lir are meeting at the shore as often as possible, and the connection between them deepens. The only problem is that neither can live in the other’s world. Or can they? Then Lir finds a way for them to be together, but only for a little while… and at a cost. As time grows short, they have to choose: does Lir return to the sea and never see Colin again, or stay forever with the man he loves in a world that will never love them? Ripples & Waves is a modern, queer retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.

Word Count: Click here to reveal38000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Aromantic, Bisexual, Demigender, Demisexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: RISE (noun / verb) Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) An upward slope or movement 2) A beginning or origin 3) An increase in amount or number 4) An angry reaction 5) To take up arms 6) To return from death 7) To become heartened or elated 8) To exert oneself to meet a challenge Rise 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 reveal13000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In this third tale of “The Asgard Félag Saga” the story of Lars and Sven expands beyond the borders of their personal universe and the city-boy comes in contact with the Coven founded by Sven in Hessdalen Valley. When the Rite of Purification joined by Lars will be ended not him, Sven, or anyone else either will be the same again.

Word Count: Click here to reveal50348 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Nerisa is a selkie who had long dreamed of exploring the world beyond her people’s territory and finding her other half, should she exist. With a leap of faith fueled by wanderlust, she was ready to embrace what the town of Arkan Hallow had to offer. She found an uninhabited shack by the sea, a job as a carer and the beginnings of a new life… and she was enjoying it. The thief struck when she was at work and stole her pelt. It was more than a piece of clothing or her means to shapeshift; it was a part of her soul and her only way of returning to live among her kind. Without it she couldn’t become a seal again. She couldn’t return to live in her family’s waters and continue the life she’d had before. Without it she felt very much alone. Desperate, Nerisa searches for help and finds it with Nina, the daughter of a witch and fortune teller. Nina is still recovering from a break-up, and she becomes captivated by the beautiful woman from the sea. She decides she has to help her at any cost. Together they search for Nerisa’s pelt and try to get it back; not an easy task when they’re not sure where to begin. The journey allows them to discover something just as valuable along the way: each other. The closer they get to answers, the more dangerous their quest becomes, and the stakes should they fail. Only by discovering who is behind it all can they get Nerisa’s pelt back and find a happy future together. Reader Note: Selkies Freedom is a F/F paranormal romance novel of just over 50,000 words that features sapphic love (the steamy and sweet kind), adult language and some violence. Two women willing to face danger together in the name of love await you!  

Word Count: Click here to reveal17000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In this second instalment of the Damien the Devil series, we see Damien has found a new, more permanent home outside the foster system with Pat, Damien’s Renfield and caseworker, and his twin brother Matt. He‘s also enjoying a budding romantic relationship with Brian, another boy from the foster home. But after the two of them are caught kissing, Damien is kicked out on the streets in the middle of the night—only to find himself in a very dangerous situation with a vampire. Brian, feeling guilty about the whole situation, goes looking for Damien the next evening, only to fall victim to the vampire’s trap himself. Damien and Pat save Brian, but he’s unable to remember what happened that night—until he starts to be plagued with nightmares. Meanwhile, Damien is too afraid to reveal to Brian that he is a vampeal: a half-vampire and half-human. Will they both be able to handle the truth of what each other is hiding?

Word Count: Click here to reveal19,936 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Wyatt Calder is trapped -- in a rundown neighborhood, in a dead-end job, by the endless string of trouble his brother drags to their door -- and it seems he’s destined to slowly fade away within the aging walls of Picket House, longing for his neighbor. That is, until his upstairs neighbor Abel Walters dies on the staircase just outside Wyatt’s door. Saalik has spent most of his existence asleep and waiting for the next person to discover his bottle and claim their wishes. And the last four years playing prized possession to Abel Walters and spying on the downstairs neighbors. But he has a plan. And, like every plan worth planning, it has taken patience. But if life as a Jinn has taught Saalik nothing else, it’s taught him that. When a break-in sends Wyatt out his second-story bedroom window and into his dead upstairs neighbor’s apartment, he finds more than a place to hide. He discovers a magical solution to all his troubles. Or does he? Because really, when is life ever that simple?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Once upon a time an imprisoned prince was rescued by seven beautiful men. For two years, Prince Snow has been locked away in the palace tower. On the night Queen Serena decides to do away with him for good, seven beautiful men with equally tragic pasts appear out of nowhere to rescue him. Starved for affection, hurt, and in fear for his life, Snow is shown attention and care he has never known. The seven men teach him what real loyalty and love can be. Doc, their leader, will heal him. Sleepy, the most devoted, offers to become his love until the end of days. All yearn to fight to gain Snow his rightful throne. But Snow cannot justify his new friends putting their lives on the line for him. His heart will break forever if anything happens to Sleepy. Maybe it would be better for all if he just left… You will love Prince Snow, but you will fall in love with Sleepy! M/M romance, non-magical fantasy, abduction, imprisonment, rescue, hurt/comfort, and a sweet love story with a happy ending!

Word Count: Click here to reveal41600 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Namid’s a city boy, born and bred, but he needs a change of pace. Tired of the political jockeying and demands of being a doctor in Chicago, he moves West to Hooper's Town. He’s about to find out that “quaint small town” is really a euphemism for “completely weird.” Porches that attack people, herds of cats, nookomis watching him like hawks, Namid accepts the small town as it is because of one important factor—a recluse of a cowboy he just happens to save from a fire. Now if only Namid could find a way to tell Dusty the whole town is gleefully gossiping about them dating.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal44000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stepping out in borrowed shoes has never been so dangerous. Stripped of her inheritance as a child by a greedy stepmother, Alla’s future hovers between drudgery and slavery. Having spent years toiling in the mansion that was once her happy home, tending to her stepmother’s every whim, she has long since put aside any thoughts of a better future. When a chance encounter in the marketplace leaves her with an invitation to the upcoming ball, her only opportunity to play out an old dream of seeing inside the palace walls is by being someone she’s not. A farce that could see her executed or sold. But will she be able to maintain the illusion once she meets Princess Viktoriya?

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

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

Summary: Love blooms, even in death... When the goddess of beauty steals a precious flower from Thaedus, god of death, he demands retribution—her son Prosoper must become his prisoner. To his surprise, Prosoper is far from an unwilling captive. Prosoper has been kept isolated from the world by his mother, who is determined to protect his innocence. But Prosoper is nearly two centuries old and longs to break free from his mother's control. Only the God of Death can give Prosoper the chance at life he desires. And only the Son of Beauty can save Thaedus from despair.

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

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

Summary: Spells & Stardust is Scott's first anthology - eight sci fi and fantasy shorts that run the gamut from regeneration to redemption. The Bear at the Bar: A gay fish out of water tale with a pinch of magic. Tight: What happens when your lover disappears in midair? Morgan: The year when everything changed. Re-Life: What if you were reborn in a strange new future? A New Year: They met every eleven years. And each time, Hank's life changed. Repetition: What if you wanted to go back in the closet? Gargoyle: Sometimes you get what you deserve. Sometimes it happens on All Hallows Eve. Avalon: A few bright moments in the sun, stolen from outside time. Most of these stories have been previously published in various anthologies and journals. This is the first time they have all been collected in one place.

Word Count: Click here to reveal42,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ankit has lived many lifetimes. Once, long ago, he was made of stone, and marked with symbols and sigils meant to safeguard him and allow him to protect and serve others. He’s a living gargoyle now, cursed to live as a human; always watching, at all times aware, and constantly searching for his fated one. While walking home from his job as a librarian, Ethan Lewis is beaten and robbed. Ankit stumbles upon him, and instantly recognizes him as the man he’s fated to. He helps him back to his apartment, and after tending his injuries, watches over him. Fate has woven their lives together for centuries, but in every lifetime, they could never live freely, or love each other as Ankit has often dreamed of. To change their destiny, they’ll fight together with other gargoyles, and a young watcher, who is unaware of the tremendous power she possesses. This will be the last battle against their creator, and they’ll either die fighting for their freedom, or survive to live the life they’ve always yearned for.

Word Count: Click here to reveal68000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A life in hock. Seven years ago, Logan Conner and his legend tripper college roommate stumbled into the middle of a ghost war. Logan escaped. Trent did not. Guilt has driven Logan to hunt for answers ever since—not only for why Trent was trapped, but how to return and save him. On the verge of abandoning the search as hopeless, Logan discovers the solution at last thanks to folklorist Riley Morrel, the man he never expected to fall in love with, and the man he’d do anything to keep safe, including leaving him behind. A life on hold. When Logan disappeared in a puff of motorcycle exhaust, Riley’s life took a nosedive. After dropping out of school, he’s not entirely sure it’s not still diving. Sure, he has a job—one that’d send his thesis advisor screaming. Still, there are perks to his gig as the researcher for paranormal investigation show Haunted to the Max: He’s in the ideal position to propose projects for the team to tackle. Like their latest episode in Portland, for instance, where Logan just happens to be bartending. If nothing else, confronting the big jerk will give Riley some closure. A life’s last hour. But as the two men take tentative steps toward each other again, they begin to realize that their relationship, the shoot, and Logan’s quest to free Trent are hopelessly entangled with one tragic day at the riverside, over a century and a half in the past. And when the smoke finally clears? Not everyone will walk away.   Stumptown Spirits is a second-chance, opposites-attract, supernatural suspense romance featuring a TV show one step past jumping the shark, a narcissistic TV personality, a craven ex-ghost, annoying bosses, interfering (but well-meaning) friends, personal redemption, and, of course, an HEA. Note: This book was previously published. It has been lightly revised and re-edited, but the story remains the same.