Category: M/M Anthologies

Love Flash Fiction? Check Out Renewal: Queer Sci Fi’s Fourth Annual Flash Fiction Contest (QSF Flash Fiction, #3) (Queer SyFy’s J. Scott Coatsworth and so many other wonderful authors!)

Renewal: Queer Sci Fi’s Fourth Annual Flash Fiction Contest

(QSF Flash Fiction #3)

QSF Renewal-Print

QSF has a new book out, the latest in our series of flash fiction anthologies:

Re.new.al (noun)

1) Resuming an activity after an interruption, or
2) Extending a contract, subscription or license, or
3) Replacing or repairing something that is worn out, run-down, or broken, or
4) Rebirth after death.

Four definitions to spark inspiration, a limitless number of stories to be conceived. Only 110 made the cut.

Thrilling to hopeful, Renewal features 300-word speculative fiction ficlets about sexual and gender minorities to entice readers.

Welcome to Renewal.

Mischief Corner Books (info only) | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

Renewal Banner

Excerpt

Because these stories are only 300 words each, we’re not supplying long excerpts, but here are the first lines of several of the stories. Enjoy!

“Griselda pulled the weeds from between the rows of Valerianella locusta plants in the garden, careful not to disturb the buds that would grow into the babies that were her only real income-producing crop.” —The Witches’ Garden, by Rie Sheridan Rose

“I didn’t know how truly the world was in trouble until I went journeying to look for Anisette’s bluebonnets.” —Bluebonnets, by Emily Horner

“The ship’s drive malfunctioned at the worst possible time.” —The Return, by Andrea Speed

“Before we continue, there’s a rather macabre fact about me I should share.” —Rejuvenation, by Christine Wright

“When I died they buried me at the bottom of the garden and returned to the fields.” —Below the Hill, by Matthew Bright

“The world is ending and I can’t look away from your eyes.” —Sunrise, by Brigitte Winter

““Losing one’s superpowers to your arch nemesis sucks donkey nuts, I tell ya. And trust me when I say I suck a lot of them.” —Rainbow Powers, by Dustin Karpovich

“The day I was born again was damp, rainy—a good day for rebirth, all things considered.” —The Birthing Pod, by Michelle Browne

“Intwir’s twelve eyes roved over the container, taking in the cracked outer lock and the elasticated fabric stretched tightly over its exterior.” —In a Bind, by S R Jones

“‘You’ve reached Androgyne HelpLine. Press one to start service. Press two to interrupt or cancel service. Press three—’” —Auto-Renew, by Ginger Streusel

“The doctor tells me that my wife is dying, but I already know.” —I Will Be Your Shelter, by Carey Ford Compton

“‘San Francisco was the first to go dark, followed by Los Angeles.’” —When Light Left, by Lex Chase

“My fingers lingered on the synthetic skin, trailing soft patterns across my work.” —Miss You, by Stephanie Shaffer

Included Authors

‘Nathan Burgoine
A.M. Leibowitz
A.M. Soto
Abby Bartle
Aidee Ladnier
Alexis Woods
Andi Deacon
Andrea Felber Seligman
Andrea Speed
Andrea Stanet
Anne McPherson
Bey Deckard
Brigitte Winter
Carey Ford Compton
Carol Holland March
Carrie Pack
Catherine Lundoff
CB Lee
Christine Wright
Colton Aalto
Daniel Mitton
Dustin Blottenberger
Dustin Karpovich
E R Zhang
E.J. Russell
E.W. Murks
Ell Schulman
Ellery Jude
Eloreen Moon
Elsa M León
Emily Horner
Eric Alan Westfall
F.T. Lukens
Fenrir Cerebellion
Foster Bridget Cassidy
Ginger Streusel
Hannah Henry
Irene Preston
J. Alan Veerkamp
J. P. Egry
J. Summerset
J.S. Fields
Jaap Boekestein
Jackie Keswick
Jana Denardo
Jeff Baker
Jenn Burke
Joe Baumann
John Moralee
Jon Keys
Jude Dunn
K.C. Faelan
Kelly Haworth
Kiterie Aine
Kristen Lee
L M Somerton
L. Brian Carroll
L.M. Brown
L.V. Lloyd
Laurie Treacy
Leigh M. Lorien
Lex Chase
Lia Harding
Lin Kelly
Lloyd A. Meeker
Lyda Morehouse
M.D. Grimm
Martha J. Allard
Mary E. Lowd
Matt Doyle
Matthew Bright
Mia Koutras
Michelle Browne
Milo Owen
Mindy Leana Shuman
Naomi Tajedler
Natsuya Uesugi
Nephy Hart
Nicole Dennis
Ofelia Gränd
Patricia Scott
Paul Stevens
PW Covington
R R Angell
R.L. Merrill
Rebecca Cohen
Redfern Jon Barrett
Reni Kieffer
Richard Amos
RL Mosswood
Robyn Walker
Rory Ni Coileain
Rose Blackthorn
Ross Common
S R Jones
Sacchi Green
Sarah Einstein
Shilo Quetchenbach
Siri Paulson
Soren Summers
Stephanie Shaffer
Steve Fuson
Tam Ames
Terry Poole
Tray Ellis
Vivien Dean
Wendy Rathbone
Xenia Melzer
Zen DiPietro
Zev de Valera

A VVivacious Review: The Highlander (Order Series #2) by Kasia Bacon

 Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

  Lochan Féyes has never been so dependent on his feelings but he can’t seem to overcome his connection with Ervyn. As an assassin who specialises in making sure that people stay at a distance, he can’t seem to understand how Ervyn wriggled his way in. But as Lochan’s experience tells him people die and people leave and as he gets commissioned into the Scouts this fact becomes abundantly clear. Destined on two different paths will Lochan and Ervyn find their way to each other?

This story was amazing, so amazing in fact that I have already read it twice.

I loved “The Mutt” and before starting this one I was wondering if I would love this one too. The Mutt had a really interesting premise with how Ervyn is really just edging the line between affection and obsession and I really wondered if this book had anything that wonderful to offer. But as it turns out, I had nothing to fear on that count for being in Lochan’s head was a surreal experience.

 “The assassin in me rejoiced. The Elven soldier complied. The human lamented.”

This time around we didn’t get such a dark dilemma but a really heartrending one, the dilemma between wanting what you can’t have but wanting it anyway, basically Lochan faced the age-old dilemma of love and you would probably wonder how Lochan’s dilemma would hold a light to Ervyn’s but amazingly it is the other way around and that is the reason why so many stories in the world focus on love because there is something new to explore every single time.

Lochan’s feelings are mired with sweetness and pain and you can feel every bittersweet bit. I loved Lochan, I loved his mind and I loved hearing his side of the story. Lochan is so amazingly written that if the author hadn’t pointed out the fact that most of this story takes place in Lochan’s head I would have definitely not noticed the paucity of dialogue because as it so happens with people who speak less when they do speak it is almost always worth hearing. It bears repeating being in Lochan’s head was such a vivid experience, there are these lines that just kind of stayed with me and others which give you a wonderful insight into who Lochan is, how he thinks and what he feels.

“I held my breath as if the stream of air from my lungs had bearing on Ervyn’s accuracy.”

 “At times, he felt, smelt and tasted like my fate. At others—my biggest mistake.”

Lochan and Ervyn stole my breath. I can’t wait to read entire novels based on these two, like I really can’t wait. I am extremely glad we will be getting a short story to tide over the time because ever since I read about these two characters I haven’t been able to get them out of my head and considering that they only had some forty odd pages to convince me they not only have me convinced, they have me buried in conviction. Now I basically stalk the author almost relentlessly for more information on these two.

There is one scene in this book that is simply so beautiful, the magnitude of its beauty is unexplainable. It’s the scene at the very end when Ervyn is second guessing himself with Lochan and how much that hesitance gets to Lochan. All it takes is two lines to convince you that Lochan loves Ervyn relentlessly and unflinchingly. Now I just can’t wait for these two to finally confess.

“In a startling moment of clarity, with his fingers running through my hair, it occurred to me that just as he considered me his centre, I’d found mine in him.”

The only bad thing about this short is the wait that is bound to follow till I get more on these two. But I for one look forward to re-reading these two shorts while I hungrily wait for “The Scouts”.

Cover Art by Marek Frankowski. I loved the cover. I really liked how the brightness of this background contrasts with the darkness of The Mutt’s background because that is now how I see these books.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 58 pages
Published August 31st 2017
ASIN B074L31YFK
Edition Language English
Series The Order #2
setting The Elven Country
The Mutt (The Order #1)
The Highlander​ (The Order #2)

Retro Review Tour for Enlightenment Series by Joanna Chambers

 

Covers by Natasha Snow


Provoked (Enlightenment #1) 

 
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK  (FREE till June 17)
 

David Lauriston is struggling to build his reputation in Edinburgh’s privileged legal world. His humble origins are enough of a hurdle, never mind his recent decision to defend a group of weavers accused of treason, prompting speculation that he may harbour radical sympathies. The last thing he should be doing is agreeing to help the brother of one of the convicted weavers find the government agent who caused his brother’s downfall.

David’s personal life is no more successful. Tormented by his forbidden desires for other men, and the painful memories of the childhood friend he once loved, David tries his hardest to live a celibate existence, castigating himself whenever his resolve slips. 

But then—into David’s repressed and orderly world—bursts Lord Murdo Balfour.

Cynical, hedonistic and utterly unapologetic, Murdo could not be less like David. Whilst David refuses to entertain the prospect of entering into a loveless marriage for propriety’s sake, Murdo is determined to wed one day—and has no intention of giving up the company of other men when he does so. But as appalled as David is by Murdo’s unrepentant self-interest, he cannot resist the man’s sway.

Murdo tempts and provokes David in equal measure, distracting him from his promise to find the agent provocateur responsible for the weavers’ fate, and forcing him to acknowledge his physical desires.

But is Murdo more than a mere distraction? 

Is it possible he could be the very man David is looking for?

 


Beguiled (Enlightenment #2)



Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 
 

Two years after his last encounter with cynical nobleman Lord Murdo Balfour, David Lauriston accidentally meets him again in the heart of Edinburgh.

King George IV is about to make his first visit to Edinburgh and Murdo has been sent North by his politician father to represent his aristocratic family at the celebrations.

David and Murdo’s last parting was painful—and on Murdo’s part, bitter—but Murdo’s feelings seem to have mellowed in the intervening years. So much so, that he suggests to David that they enjoy each other’s company during Murdo’s stay in the capital.

Despite his initial reservations, David cannot put Murdo’s proposal from his mind, and soon find himself at Murdo’s door—and in his arms.

But other figures from David’s past are converging on the city, and as the pomp and ceremony of the King’s visit unfolds around them, David is drawn into a chain of events that will threaten everything: his career, his wellbeing, and the fragile bond that, despite David’s best intentions, is growing between him and Murdo.

 


Enlightened (Enlightenment #3) 



Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 

David Lauriston has been recuperating at Lord Murdo Balfour’s Laverock estate for the last five months. At Laverock, he has regained his health and confidence and has found—with Murdo—more happiness and contentment than he has never known before.

David is all too aware that some day soon he will have to leave Laverock—and Murdo—and return to his legal practice in Edinburgh, just as Murdo will have to return to his life in London. But when David’s mentor, Patrick Chalmers, asks David to return to Edinburgh to visit him on his deathbed, it seems that day has come sooner than either David or Murdo would have wished.

Chalmers begs David to undertake one last piece of business for him: to secure the future of Chalmers’s daughter Elizabeth. But to carry out his old mentor’s wishes, David must travel to London, with Murdo.

No sooner have the two men arrived in the capital than they encounter Murdo’s ruthlessly manipulative father, who reveals a shocking secret that rocks David to his foundations. What’s more, when David discovers Elizabeth is facing far greater danger than even her father feared, he is determined to help her, no matter the cost to his own safety.

As the stakes rise, it is Murdo who must choose what he is prepared to sacrifice to keep David at his side, and ask whether there is any possibility of lasting happiness for men like them.

June 13 – Bike Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews
June 15 – Keysmash, The Librarian’s Corner
June 17 – Dog-Eared Daydreams, Padme’s Library
June 19 – Jessie G Books
June 21 – It’s About The Book, Sarandipity, Bayou Book Junkie, My Time Out Book Blog, Gay Book Reviews, Ellie Reads All The Books, My Fiction Nook, Urban Smoothie Read, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, From Top To Bottom Reviews, Boy Meets Boy Reviews

 
Author Bio



Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. She spent over 20 years staring at blank sheets of paper and despairing of ever writing a single word. In between staring at blank sheets of paper, she studied law, met her husband and had two children. Whilst nursing her first child, she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna lives in Scotland with her family and finds time to write by eschewing sleep and popular culture.

 

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An Alisa Review: Threshold by Vivien Dean

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Finding a gorgeous, unconscious vampire gives ex-Marine Max a new purpose in life.

 

Sutter is a vampire on the run. After barely escaping the hunter sent after him, he makes it all the way to Oregon before the approaching sunrise forces him to stop. He only intends to rest until dusk, but that plan falls apart when he’s found passed out on the bathroom floor.

 

Ex-Marine Max Rowell hasn’t had a purpose in life since coming home from the Gulf. Drifting through the days, he discovers an unconscious guy who looks like an angel but has clearly been through hell and finds new purpose.

 

Max isn’t letting Sutter go anywhere until he’s healed, but Sutter needs more than a warm bedside manner to get stronger. Though they strike a deal, the clock is ticking. Sooner or later, Sutter will need to run again, or risk putting Max’s life on the line when Sutter’s past catches up to him…

 

I really enjoyed this story.  Sutter is on the run and hoping that he can heal enough over night to keep going but Max patches him up and won’t let him go until he is better.  Both of the characters have to work together to move past their current existence to something more.

 

Max is just buying time trying to figure out what he wants to do now that he is out of the marines and not really getting anywhere, meeting Sutter begins to give him a reason to do something different.  He is shocked when Sutter explains to him that he is a vampire but still refuses to leave his side while he is healing.  Sutter doesn’t want to get an innocent person hurt because of his past but Max won’t let him push him away so easily.

 

This story is told from both characters’ points of view and we can see their struggles and how they seem to understand the other easily.  Max refused to give in to his desire for Sutter until he knows the man is healed, he has seen too much evil in the world and refuses to be that way.  Sutter is trying to be the bigger man but knows he can’t take care of himself quite yet.  These two characters are as different as they are alike and they played well off of each other.  I liked seeing them actually begin to build a relationship and get to know each other seeing them essentially ride off together in the end.

 

I love the cover art and how it depicts both of the characters.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 113 pages

Published: April 14, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

Blog Tour Beneath the Layers Anthology (scavenger hunt and guest post by Elizabeth Coldwell)

Beneath the Layers, a NineStar Press Anthology.  Eight stories of men who like a little satin and lace.

A Linebacker in Lace by Caitlin Ricci
This ex-linebacker is impossible for his friend to resist.

Satin Secrets by CL Mustafic
Sometimes secrets are better when they’re shared.

Backwards and in High Heels by Elizabeth Coldwell
Tonight he has the chance to live out his dream.

Angels in Delaware by Sita Bethel
When one finds two partners, it helps to dress for the occasion.

All That Entails by E.M. Hamill
A gender-fluid prince with a penchant for gowns finds his unlikely match in an arranged marriage.

After the Dance by Sydney Blackburn
Sometimes happily ever after requires a pretty frock.

A Secret Shared by C.A. Blocke
One sweet secret shared—and a spicy one returned.

Ruffle My Feathers by Asta Idonea
Sometimes love can be found behind a feather boa.

RELEASE DATE: April 17th

Beneath the Layers is our first multi-author anthology and to celebrate, we decided to do something a little different for its release. A scavenger hunt!

An excerpt from each one of the stories in the anthology will be posted at each blog stop along the tour.

The questions for the hunt are listed below and the answers to the questions will be provided in the blog posts. Be sure to visit each stop on the tour to gather all the answers for a chance to win a $15.00 gift code for NineStar Press site!

Once you have all the answers, send them in an email to Raevyn@ninestarpress.com. Make sure BtL Hunt is in the subject line.

Two winners will be randomly chosen from readers who email the correct answers by May 1st, 2017

Look for the answers to these questions at each of the blog stops.

  1. What color were the first panties Arliss showed Brent?
  1. What was Gavin wearing under the sweatshirt?
  1. Why was Oliver seeing Mia?
  1. What did the perfume Delaware smell like?
  1. What costume did Darian wear?
  1. What did Frances long to do?
  1. What did Tommy shave?
  1. What is Barrett’s stage name?
  1. Which author’s answer surprised you?

Add to Goodreads

Backwards and in High Heels by Elizabeth Coldwell

The day of Oliver’s return approached, too quickly for Billie’s liking as he struggled to master the quickstep, and yet not quickly enough. They’d been apart for far too long, and Billie was impatient to be in his lover’s arms again. It wasn’t just the physical side of their relationship that he missed; it was all the little things, like going grocery shopping together, or talking over dinner at the end of the day. Sure, they Skyped, but it wasn’t the same; the screens between them acted as an all-too-visible barrier to their closeness. They’d tried having cybersex once or twice, with Billie wrapping a favorite pair of his panties around his cock and jerking himself off while Oliver watched. He’d come hard and fast, but all the while he’d been thinking how much better, more satisfying, it would be if it were Oliver’s fingers gripping the panties, Oliver’s fist setting the pace of the strokes up and down his shaft.

His final lesson was the day before Oliver came home. Mia had asked him how rehearsals for the play were coming along and when it would be opening. He had the feeling she wanted to get tickets, so he lied and told her the backers had pulled out, and the play wouldn’t be going ahead anymore, but that he’d been having so much fun he wanted to keep on with the lessons.

That last bit, at least, was true. Billie couldn’t believe how much he’d come to enjoy his regular trips to the dance studio. Mia was an excellent teacher, and somehow, she’d managed to coax his two left feet into moving with the music. He’d miss not seeing her when the lessons ended.

Billie cleaned the apartment in preparation for Oliver coming home and bought a bunch of sunflowers, Oliver’s favorites, from the flower shop on the corner. The gaudy yellow blooms brought a bright splash of colour to the lounge.

Oliver’s flight was scheduled to land at three thirty. Billie checked the airport arrivals online, refreshing his browser every few minutes to make sure there were no delays. He’d made a dinner reservation for seven, which gave Oliver plenty of time to get home and change, but so many things could go wrong. The plane could miss its departure slot; Oliver could get stuck at passport control; his baggage might go astray…

He shook his head, clearing it of doubts. That wasn’t going to happen. All Billie’s plans would fall into place, and tonight would be perfect—or at least as close to perfect as he could make it.

The front door opened, and Billie’s heart skipped a beat. He’s here. He ran down the hall to greet Oliver, almost throwing himself into his arms. Pressing his lips to Oliver’s, he poured all his longing, all his gratitude at having his lover back safely, into the kiss.

“Hey, I’ve missed you too…” Oliver grinned when they finally broke apart. “It’s so good to be back.”

“The kettle’s on. I’ll make tea. Then I need you to shower. Your suit’s laid out on the bed.”

“Suit?” Oliver quirked his brow.

“Yeah. I’ve got reservations for dinner at Alberti’s at seven.”

“Alberti’s? What’s the occasion?” Worry crossed Oliver’s face. “Hey, I didn’t forget our anniversary, did I?”

Billie shook his head. “I just wanted to celebrate having you home. It’s been so long since I treated you to a nice dinner.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’d have been just as happy sitting on the couch with takeout and a bad movie.”

“We’ll do that tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to let me take care of things.” He kissed Oliver again. “I want to give you a night you’ll never forget.”

About the Author

Elizabeth Coldwell is a multi-published author and the former editor of the UK edition of Forum magazine, where she was responsible for publishing a number of now very well-known authors for the first time, as well as honing her own writing.

She lives in East London, is a season ticket holder at Rotherham United, and a keen cook. Her recipe for peanut butter brownies is available if you ask nicely…

Email: elizabeth_coldwell@yahoo.co.uk

Website: http://elizabethcoldwell.wordpress.com

Other books by this author

Happy Christmas, Sir

Be My Valentine, Sir

Trickster

Synopsis

A Linebacker in Lace by Caitlin Ricci

Brent likes wearing lace underwear, but it’s not something he plans to reveal, and he never thought he’d meet a guy who shared his kink. So when Arliss approaches him at a bar and mentions he can see lace underwear peeking out from his waistband, Brent is embarrassed—until he finds out Arliss has got a thing for guys in lace.

Satin Secrets by CL Mustafic

When Dr. Gavin Addison answers his doorbell, instead of the delivery guy he expected, he gets Officer Lex Turner, who takes Gavin’s invitation to step in out of the cold a little too far. Before he leaves though, he investigates the satin lace peeking out between Gavin’s shirt and pants. Will what he finds be the only secret revealed?

Backwards and in High Heels by Elizabeth Coldwell

Dancing cheek-to-cheek with his lover while wearing a beautiful gown has always been Billie’s dream. But how can he persuade a sympathetic teacher that he needs to learn how to dance backwards—like a woman—so he can make that fantasy come true?

Angels in Delaware by Sita Bethel

Stranded at a nightclub, Beau thought he’d have a long, solitary walk home. He never expected to meet two gorgeous strangers willing to give him a different kind of ride instead.

All That Entails by E.M. Hamill

Prince Darian is prepared to set aside his scandalous preference for gowns and take a wife to benefit his royal brother’s treasury. Henry is resigned to the fate his outward sex dictates and determined to follow through with an arranged marriage to the prince, rather than risk his father’s threat of an asylum. But he will enter this union with the truth known—or not at all.

In each other, they find unlikely kindred spirits and realize they may finally get the acceptance for which they’ve always longed.

After the Dance by Sydney Blackburn

Mechanic Frank Dixon knows his unrequited love for the boss’s son, Charles Quinn, is an impossible dream, even after he and Charles work together on a special project and become friends. When Charles confides his parents are going to force him to choose a bride during an old-fashioned ball, Frank’s roommate uses his influence to help Frank fulfill his wish to attend the ball in a pretty frock. But after the dance, will his heart be broken, or will all his dreams come true?

A Secret Shared by C.A. Blocke

When Michael told Tommy of his nerdy secret life as a Dungeon Master, after a few months of casual dating that seemed to be heading for serious territory, he didn’t expect anything in return. He certainly didn’t expect his new boyfriend to join him for a game session, and he definitely didn’t anticipate Tommy divulging his desire to dress up en femme. Thankfully, the surprise comes out well—for both of them.

Ruffle My Feathers by Asta Idonea

Barrett leads a double life—builder by day and drag act by night. Having successfully kept this from his colleagues, he’s stunned when he spots his boss, Keith, at a performance. Unlike Barrett, Keith is still completely in the closet. And though he promises not to reveal Barrett’s secret, the sight of Barrett in dress and feather boa awakes hidden desires, and he may not be able to keep them at bay.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

Tour Schedule

4/17 ~  Erotica For All

4/17 ~  Love Bytes

4/18 ~  Boy Meets Boy Reviews

4/18 ~  Zipper Rippers ­

4/19 ~  Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

4/19 ~  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

4/20 ~  Oh My Shelves

4/20 ~  The Novel Approach

4/21 ~  Stories That Make You Smile

4/21 ~  Happily Ever Chapter

 

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