Word Count: 93765
Summary: Home, a place where we belong and are safe and loved. Home, the house in which we grew up, a neighborhood, a culture, even a country. Home is a state of mind, it is a place of the heart, and in the heart. Finding home, coming home, and bringing home the one we love is a journey, a journey that can be a dangerous adventure. For the lovers in these stories, adventures can include quests and fighting dragons and demons, past and present, physical as well as mental and emotional. Rocket launchers need to be dodged, the Wild Hunt needs to be outrun. For some of the lovers here, home has been lost, or they have been forced to leave, as is too common for LGBT+ youth. In this collection queer positive speculative fiction stories, explore the idea of what and where home is in the lives of these lovers. Will they survive their quests, defeat their monsters? Will they find a place to call home?
Word Count: 34985
Summary: By the year 2060, mankind is on the verge of bringing Terra to her knees. The population has exploded, and land for cattle and crops has been sacrificed for housing and employment for the more than fifteen billion souls now living on the planet. Synthetic food is created in plants, and the remaining animals are kept in zoos and game preserves of the wealthy. In an effort to insure the survival of mankind, spaceships are sent to explore Terra’s nearest neighbors, Mars and Venus, but will it be too little too late? The four men who took the MRM to Mars have high hopes, until on their return home they travel through a magnetic field that crashes them… somewhere. As they explore the unknown world with its dangers, Doc, Nick, Hank, and Ed will struggle to come to terms with their new reality and find their own paths to happiness.
Word Count: 61424
Summary: Todd Ruger is a sentry, a very good one, some might say the best. He was eleven when he and Nick were bound as master and slave. Todd spent the years Nick lived in the slave village waiting for the day Nick could leave and they’d be together, bit by bit building a life for both of them. He took his role of master seriously. It was his responsibility to provide for Nick, protect him and along the way he learned to love him. Todd loved Nick deeply and completely. They were more than a pair of sentries. Todd and Nick were friends, lovers, mates. Eighteen months ago, Nick left the small village where he’d spent his entire life being raised and trained as a slave. Blessed with a unique skill set, Nick became a sentry. He took his place beside his master, Todd Ruger, defending society against the many paranormal threats that abound. They became more than master and slave, they became mates. Nick had found a home with Todd and together they became a family. Eventually, Nick’s special abilities and skills attract the attention of the second most powerful man in New Colorado Protectorate’s government, Vice Chancellor Clarke. Or, maybe certain people knew of Nick all along and just now had cause to use him. He believes Nick might be the answer to explaining Chancellor Shaffer’s sudden, unusual behavior. Forced to go undercover at the Chancellor’s Estate, Todd and Nick discover an ancient and deadly creature preying on residents of the estate. The same creature that is radically effecting Chancellor Shaffer. A creature only Nick can see in its true form. It hunts using specialized skills and has Todd and Nick in its crosshairs. Even if they defeat the creature and survive, they still face the possibility of being torn from each other when their lives are thrown into chaos by the thing they’re hunting.
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: Bioinformatics whiz Victor Eastmore at long last gains control over his frightening mirror resonance syndrome, but he still believes his grandfather was murdered. Victor’s best hope for finding justice lies in New Venice, a tourist town in the Louisiana Territories where his family’s company is exploring new treatment options for so-called “Broken Mirrors” and the stim addicts who experience similar symptoms–blank outs, synesthesia, and euphoria. Only by confronting Samuel Miller, the MRS “patient zero” who was responsible for the Carmichael Massacre, can Victor learn the truth. To do that, Samuel must first be weaned off Personil, the drug that keeps his mirror resonance syndrome in check. Can Victor learn the data egg’s darkest secrets without unleashing a violent madman? Meanwhile, a cult dedicated to the sanctity and purity of human life disrupts New Venice with protests and vandalism. When they take an interest in stopping BioScan from medicating MRS patients, including Samuel Miller, Victor finds himself with unlikely allies and divided loyalties. As pressure builds for the nations of the American Union to pass new legislation to control Broken Mirrors, Victor must become an effective advocate for people with MRS or risk being institutionalized along with them. A fast-paced sequel to Broken Mirror, Tortured Echoes continues the sci-fi detective saga of Resonant Earth. In this installment, fans of Broken Mirror will finally get answers to their questions: Why was Jefferson Eastmore killed? How did it happen? Who was responsible? Revisit the world of self-driving cars, stunsticks, brainhackers, and herbalism with Victor, Elena, Ozie, Tosh, and Karine, and several new figures that might help Victor chart a new course for his future, or condemn him to madness.
Word Count: 96000
Summary: "Today I swam through MOMA. Leon says it was a waste, encasing the art, then flooding the museum—frivolous and elitist. I say it was a gesture of optimism, a triumph of technology and political will." Want to thrill to the possibilities of a hopeful future? We asked a bunch of sci-fi writers to spin tales of a better future, imagining ways in which the world might become a better place. From a swim through an underwater museum to a joyous dance at a futuristic concert, from the eco-friendly aftermath of an alien invasion and retreat to the refurbishing of an old climate-ravaged home in New Vancouver, these fourteen short sci-fi stories will to restore your faith in the future. A world transformed is a world we can all hope for. Book three in the Writers Save the World short story anthologies. If you enjoy this book, check out Fix the World and Save the World.
Word Count: 73000
Summary: Perry's mother told him he'd develop the superpower of flight, like his grandfather. She even named him Peregrine, so folks would call him "The Falcon." Spoiler— they don't. Because when he did come into his power, all he got was the ability to change colors. Not even himself, like some kind of Chameleon Man, but the color of objects. He can de-pukify the shade of his bedroom curtains, turn a bully's sweatshirt pink, or even turn a red traffic light green. (Not a good idea.) He hasn't told anyone except his disappointed mom about his power. What would they call him? The Interior Decorator? Back in high school, under stress, he did convince his power that transparent was just another color. Now that ability's sometimes fun in an illicit way. Then one morning, in the mailroom at work, he turns a cardboard box transparent and sees a bomb inside. And Perry's ordinary life explodes. Sergeant Deckard of the Nova City Bomb Squad never thought much about superheroes, or supervillains for that matter. He has plenty of work with ordinary humans and their explosives. Until he and his bomb-sniffing dog, Nix, get called to a possible-explosives situation in a highrise mailroom. The guy who reported the bomb is a nerdy twink in dark-framed glasses who pushes all of Deck's buttons. When he finds out the young man has a weird superpower and may be the target of a villain, every protective instinct comes into play. Deckard's goal is to keep his job, his dog, Nova City, and Perry intact. His libido can just sit down, shut up, and take a number. But as their attraction gets hotter and the villain closes in, their future might be blown apart before it even has a chance to start. Transparent Is a Color is a part of the multi-author Subpar Superheroes MM romance series. (Content warning for abduction, parental emotional abuse)
Word Count: 8000
Summary: Tucker has spent his entire life as an interstellar trash man. But ever since his mother died, he’s been alone, and certainly lonely. So when he discovers the derelict ship he scooped up has an occupant—a beautiful young man named Ronan—Tucker is thrilled. Ronan is royalty and running from his tyrannical mother, determined to keep a powerful object out of her hands. But when he strikes a deal with the adorable Tucker, he wonders if it’s time to stop running.
Word Count: 36,000
Summary: True love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Nixy Vogel found wedded bliss, only to be widowed soon after. Her job of matching others with their forever-loves gives her focus, and joy. And now some smoking hot alien wants to put Silverstar out of business? She should be furious; instead, her shuttered heart burns for him. Waiting several lifetimes for “the one.” The ancient mate-matching tradition of Kai Firewing’s clan could end unless the Silverstar Agency is exposed as a fraud. Simple enough to do…until his rival lights a fire in his heart as only the soul mate of an immortal phoenix can. Will Nixy embrace her second chance before it—and Kai—goes up in flames? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.
Word Count: 65000
Summary: Romance may be in the atmo when Colin joins the Merry Swallow’s crew on the beautiful ocean planet of Merak, but for Alan, it’s just another day working the most important and stressful case of his career. Yet Alan’s woes are only beginning. Not only does the pirate confederacy have ties to both the pyrean navy and human corporations, pyrean separatists have gotten involved, and Alan’s employers are about to advance their own agenda, whether or not Alan supports it. Worse yet, the case is more personal than Alan could have realized. Steele, the man who murdered Sven’s sister thirty years prior is not only alive and well, but ready to return to the public eye in grand, and bloody, fashion — and he has his sights set on the Swallow. A storm is on the horizon, and as Alan’s fragile happiness aboard the Swallow comes to an end, the only question remaining is — when the storm breaks, will he and Sven be able to weather it? A Gathering Storm is the third book in the Triple Strike series, and it includes seven illustrations plus additional bonus content and comics.
Word Count: 62000
Summary: Alan Beringer has settled into his role of human Elite inspector working with Pyrean Navy privateers. Is it stressful being the principle investigator into a dangerous and hitherto unknown pirate confederacy? Certainly. Is it kind of fun living amid the exuberant and free-spirited crew of the Swallow? Most definitely. Accidental kidnapping aside, Alan has come to think of the Swallow as his home and the crew his family — and it’s obvious to everyone except Alan exactly how infatuated the captain, Sven Jiordson, is with him. But right now, if Alan wants to survive (much less keep his job), he’ll need to determine how deep this conspiracy goes, its connection to a tragedy from thirty years prior, and what exactly his pyrean and human superiors plan on doing once he cracks this case. And if he can finally recognize flirting when he sees it? So much the better! Pasts Revisited is the second book in the Triple Strike series, and it includes seven illustrations plus additional bonus content and comics.
Word Count: 54000
Summary: Alan Beringer’s day takes an unexpected turn when he’s kidnapped by alien space pirates. In all fairness, pyrean space pirates claiming they're "privateers” has become the norm since humans became an interstellar species. Pirates aren’t the problem. The problem is Alan's job is to curtail space piracy. The problem is Alan may be more pyrean than he lets on. The problem is the alien space pirate captain, Sven Jiordson, has a growing infatuation with Alan. The problem is Alan kind of enjoys being kidnapped. But who has time for romance when there's a new, unknown threat to interstellar space travel? Kidnapping aside, Alan needs to do what he does best: use his brilliant detective skills to notice everything…except Sven flirting with him. As the pyreans say — romance is more fun when somebody’s alive to enjoy it! Threads of Fate is the first book in the Triple Strike series, and it includes seven illustrations plus additional bonus content and comics.
Word Count: 99000
Summary: It’s kill or be killed for the crew of the Ungovernable. With the mafia after their heads, ex-smuggler pilot Jez and the crew have two choices—run, or fight back. Problem is, there’s nowhere in the System to run. So instead, they’re going to take the entire crime syndicate down. But pulling a sting on the mafia—and living to tell the tale—is going to take a hell of a lot more than just good intentions. And when you can’t even trust the people you’re working with—well, let’s just say they’ll have to master the art of subterfuge, or die trying. Trojan Horse is the sixth book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.
Word Count: 140000
Summary: Jack Kirby just wants peace. Deeply scarred from a failed mission and struggling with the loss of his lover, Jack takes a job as a Religious Program Specialist on a remote PreCol station. There, he finds what he never expected: a family. Marsha, a complicated woman with a deep connection to the spiritual world. Jenny, a cheerful ensign with a dangerous past. Mark, driven to demolish the atavistic cult he was born into. Can Jack protect them all as they become entangled in an espionage game with galactic stakes?
Word Count: 63220
Summary: Alan Stewart, First Lieutenant on the space ship Qatar, and Captain Robin Lang of the Huan Police Force, have been best friends since their days in the Space Academy, despite the fact that Stewart is homosexual and Lang has a wife and son, Max. However Max is growing up and their friendship is threatened when Lang believes Stewart has designs on his son. When Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to the Qatar, is assaulted in a gay bar, Lang accuses Stewart. In an attempt to protect his son at all costs, Lang finds himself drawn into a dark conspiracy of murder and blackmail. Meanwhile, Stewart has his own battles to fight. Apart from defending himself against Lang’s accusations, he discovers the young man he is falling in love with, Michael Banner, is the one man on the ship who is out of bounds, untouchable. Lives and love hang in the balance as Lang and Stewart search for the truth.
Word Count: 90000
Summary: A new generation of vampires embarks on a quest to save humanity. Opening a forgotten crypt during a military exercise, Dr. Jane Heckman is made a vampire and begins a journey to unlock the secret origins of her new kindred. Elsewhere, solitary vampire Marcella DuBois emerges from the shadows and uncovers a government plot to create vampire-like super soldiers. Daniel McKee, a vampire working as an astronomer, moves to a new town where he's adopted by a family, only to have government agents strip those he loves away from him. All three vampires discover the government is dabbling in technologies so advanced they'll tap into realms and dimensions they don't understand. To save humans and vampires alike, Jane, Marcella, and Daniel must seek out the legendary master vampire Desmond, Lord Draco and encourage him to resurrect his band of mercenaries, the Scarlet Order.
Word Count: 69300
Summary: Vassily Belikov, composer and pampered son of privilege, suffered neurological damage in the accident that killed his father. Resentful of being treated as an invalid, he lives as a recluse, dependent on his mother. That changes the day she brings home a new husband with two sons of his own. When deep-space pirates capture Vassily's mother, he's left to the mercy of his cruel, amoral stepfather. Fighting addiction and his physical shortcomings, he's forced to seek out the criminal mastermind Baba Yaga for a crucial piece of equipment. While she agrees to deal with him if he beats his Exoticus addiction, paranoia and mysterious intentions infuse her household. Drawn to her fierce, suspicious youngest son, certain his actions are all carefully observed, Vassily must find the courage to face both his fears and his desires if he expects to survive.
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: For fans of Dungeons and Dragons and Hopeful Dark Fantasy. The adventure continues amid the thieves, spies and politics of Roviere. Birger and his team are on a deadline. A vast invasion fleet is due in five days. However, much must be done before Birger's team can escape and infighting threatens to rip them asunder. To make matters worse, several powerful villains, including Ulfhild, are in town, with their sights locked on another Piece of Divinity. From the quintri Technomancers, who combine magic and technology, to the political battlefield within the Verdantfield Stadium, Roviere's rich landscape provides a myriad of challenges. How will Birger rebuild his team, secure an escape from Roviere while battling against demons, vampires and dark magic? This fast-paced action adventure, about a thief, turned spy and his team of misfits, will have you on the edge of your seat all the way. Grab your copy now.
Word Count: 103061
Summary: SISTER. ASSASSIN. VESSEL. Echo Rodrigal isn't just a survivor; she's a success. But in a land where the law is there are no laws, the terms of success rest on a knife's edge, and Echo's luck is about to change. The Vindicata are one of the top vengeance crews in the Ten Realms of Interra. Their oaths to only commit crimes of justice have earned them the respect of their peers. But the Vindicata are more than a crew, they're a family. And ever since they adopted Echo, she's cared about one thing: making her family proud. For years, that's meant becoming the continent's most feared assassin. But each kill wreaks havoc on her soul, no matter how justified. Echo's unraveling fast, complicated by the mysterious rift growing between her and her beloved sister. Miyala's keeping dangerous secrets, and Echo cannot find the key to unlock her sister's trust. When the Warlord orders the Vindicata to transport foreign dissidents to a new prison, they must put their personal issues aside to face an impossible choice: die for defying orders, or die for breaking their oaths to uphold justice. Between meddling gods returning to the continent, mercenaries around every corner, and an ancient prophecy that foretells the end of all worlds, the pressure on Echo is mounting fast. Can she make enough right moves to save her family? The fate of many worlds rests in Echo's next choice.
Word Count: 122400
Summary: The galaxy was in for a world of hurt--chaos unseen since the violent, sadistic Asarlaí ruled. For the first time in her life, Vas doesn't know if she can fight hard enough to stop it. Vaslisha Tor Dain was a simple sort of mercenary starship captain. She fought hard, drank hard, and killed people when all else failed. Those were the good days--blown to interstellar dust when a band of crazed monks tried to resurrect a race of long-dead homicidal rulers: the Asarlaí. Vas and her crew defeated the first wave but at great cost, both professional and personal. Now lying low, she's been taking tedious recovery jobs with a new ship, a new second-in-command, and a galactic government that has gone into hiding but is still on the hunt for her and her ship. But there are noises in the distant corners of the galaxy that the Asarlaí have found new allies and another way to come back from the great beyond. A painful and brutal way that will destroy worlds. In the darkest night of deep space, if she sits too still and thinks too long, she still misses her former ship, scattered in pieces across the universe, and Deven, her former second-in-command, also scattered in pieces across the universe. When what should have been an easy job with easy money backfires in her face, the cosmic conspiracy engulfs her again. The ghost--make that ghosts--of her dead lover appears, as do the deadly, long-gone Asarlaí who want their empire of worlds back, never mind that other beings live there. And Vas realizes lying low was never a possibility, not for the Warrior Wench, and never for her. Death is final. Except when it isn't. But the righteous in battle are always VICTORIOUS DEAD.
Word Count: 12000
Summary: If The Little Mermaid were set in the twenty-second century... In the aftermath of climate change, humans have abandoned the flooded coasts. Underwater, people of another kind struggle to rehabilitate the polluted seas. After one rescues a human engineer, she realizes he might hold the key. If she can learn how to interact with the world like a human, if she can understand them, if she can become enough like them, maybe they will help. Maybe he will help. But to reach him, she may need to sacrifice who she is...
