fantasy – magical realism

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

Summary: Hollywood talent agent Switch is dragged to Salem while one of his biggest stars is filming there. From the shadows of the trees outside the House of the Seven Gables, he gets a glimpse of a witch and senses something amiss. Intrigued, he shifts into his feline form and curls his body around one of the man’s ankles—immediately realizing it’s his mate. Young witch Cassius Howe struggles to harness his powers. After a run-in with a black cat, he follows the creature, instincts firing. Rounding a corner, the cat is gone, and a gorgeous man is standing in its place. One look at Switch and Cassius is completely enamored. After a wild few days spent in bed, the men realize they have destinies that don’t seem to align. Can the two strong, stubborn men reconcile their dreams or is their mating not meant to be?

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 reveal85700 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Welcome, Traveler, to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries!  What you see before you is no mere vagabond circus. Indeed, our show is full of wonders and delights that will leave you breathless, but whether that is with amazement or dread depends entirely upon you. We are unlike any other band of creatures you have ever encountered -- and you few brave souls who choose to step beyond your mundane expectations and join us may witness sights beyond your wildest imaginings.  So sit back, relax, and let us entertain you. For time and worlds are fleeting, but each soul has a tale to tell.  Male dryad, Professor Julian Scarlett lands a protected position at the Lunore Academy of the Arcane. Caretaker of his grove, he senses trouble brewing underneath his oak and grove. A mysterious traveling carnival offers distraction and fun. For Julian, a tarot card reading sparks off fears and heightens hopes.   Brought in mid-semester to replace an ailing Professor of Botany, Emrys Cadogan tries to prevent a potential disaster. A druid, he gets lost in the overwhelming work. Until the carnival offers him a brief distraction and pause. Sparks strike away from the midway lights. Dark magic flickers and threatens. From games and shows, to life and survival, a druid and a dryad need to survive and fight together to save more than trees. Dryad on Fire is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a pair of reluctant heroes, a trio of cards, a plucky group of young helpers, a mysterious set of vines, and the beginnings of a guaranteed HEA.

Word Count: Click here to reveal103,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Welcome to the world of Enchanted Ink! For a price, master tattooists can place a beautiful spell directly onto your skin. Want to be wealthy? Beautiful? Loved? You’ve come to the right place. Just make sure the price you’ll pay is worth it as the cost isn’t always in gold. **** Luca Galioto can tattoo just about any spell, but he specializes in healing tattoos. He’ll need to create his masterpiece after his mate, and Salem PD detective, Ash Montgomery brings in a human suffering a curse to end all curses. Luca uses every ounce of strength to save the man—because they both sense he’s their third. Colby Kennedy doesn’t believe in witches, demons, fated mates, and the things that go bump in the night. Yet he struggles to ignore the deep-seated lust he feels every time he looks at Luca and Ash. No matter his need, he has his brother to care for and a business to run. He doesn’t have time for nonsense. The demons don’t stop coming, putting everything he holds dear in jeopardy. Luca and Ash, and the coven at Enchanted Ink, are the only things keeping him and his brother from losing everything. But can he accept their world and his place in it before it’s too late?

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

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

Summary: Jason Richards is ridiculously in love with his friend and coworker, Ahmed Kazimi. Unfortunately, Ahmed is a package deal—he has a boyfriend who, as far as Jason is concerned, needs to be launched into the sun. Then a mysterious carnival rolls into town, and Jason and Ahmed can’t resist going. Not even if Ahmed’s boyfriend can be depended on to make everybody miserable. When Ahmed wins a strange prize from an even stranger carnival game, weird things start happening. First, a mishap with a friend’s newly purchased love potion. Then a cascade of steadily worsening bad luck starts to rain down on every corner of Ahmed’s life. Though he doesn’t believe in the paranormal, he can’t help but wonder if his prize is cursed. Just to be safe, he throws it away. But it comes back. And it keeps coming back. Upon learning about the prize that won’t go away, Jason suggests the only solution he can think of: return it to the place it came from. Now Ahmed and Jason are on a mission to get rid of the cursed prize… assuming they can find that game again. Step Right Up is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains some long overdue friends to lovers, a strangely insightful caricaturist, and a little magical realism.

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

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

Summary: Jasper and Hamish have no intention of seeking out adventure, but adventure comes looking for them. Jasper's curiosity has carried him through encounters with ghouls, demons, world gates, and megalomaniac sorcerers. He plans to spend the next few years cataloging the mansion's vast and moldering library, and experimenting with magical construction. Professor Xsing, the raccoon not-quite-familiar who's decided to work with him, has fascinating opinions. Hamish, the sorcerer they rescued, is becoming a friend. It's silly for Jasper to wish for anything more. Hamish spent months chained in one small room. Now he lives free in a mansion full of books and friendly people, but adjusting isn't as simple as it should be. When his past weighs heavily, he can ramble the woods and fields. When he can't sleep, there's a nocturnal raccoon happy to share his explorations. But he's lonely, he misses his own long-lost familiar, and when he thinks he hears her ghost— even though familiars don't have ghosts— his life is about to be overturned. Something's afoot— ghost, spirit, familiar, wood mouse? With Silas, Darien, and their familiars headed off to France, Jasper and Hamish join forces to help those in need. And as they work together, an unexpected chance at love may fill the lonely corners of both their hearts. Found by Jasper is a novel in the Necromancer series, with our past heroes as side characters. Older MCs, friends to lovers, first times, demisexual. *Content warning for secondary character self-harm on page.*

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

Summary: Mystery and magic surround the family O’Toole. Will the current generation running Marblehead Manor add to the lore, or will they bring the house down? Marblehead Manor, a quaint bed-and-breakfast in Marblehead, Massachusetts, has been the home of generations of O’Tooles and Kellys, most of whom have stuck around the manor—even in death. The proprietors, Connor O’Toole and his twin, Mariah, enjoy their lives as innkeepers, fulfilling their mother’s dream of hosting visitors in their home. They’re the only living O’Tooles, and with Mariah being eight-minutes older, there are strict rites of passage that must be followed to maintain order—and power. Of course, Connor’s never been one to care much for rules… Clint Blackwell is newly graduated from college and trying to find his place in the world. On his drive to an unpaid internship in Boston, Clint’s car starts to act up, so he gets off the highway and drives to the small town of Marblehead, just a block from the mechanic’s shop. Clint’s directed to Marblehead Manor for the weekend while the mechanic assesses the damage and orders parts. Is it a coincidence, or is there something magical waiting for Clint at the stately old Victorian? What other mysteries surrounding the manor remain unsolved? Will Connor’s obsessive pursuit of his soul mate lead to chaos and regret? Will the odd events Clint encounters alert him that Marblehead Manor isn’t just a run-of-the-mill bed-and-breakfast? What’s up with that pesky cat that keeps lurking around every corner? Come check into Marblehead Manor and find out for yourself! This original work of paranormal/urban fantasy fiction is approximately 40,000 words in length, is a standalone book with magic, mayhem, and men, and ends in an H-E-A. I hope you enjoy it!

Word Count: Click here to reveal48000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Balthamos is a bureaucrat in Immigration, a part of the governmental Hegemony. He's a werewolf utterly unremarkable other than his choice of life partner, Monarch. Monarch, a colorful vampire who takes center stage wherever he goes, lives with Balthamos in the suburbs of Santsz. And then... rumors begin to spread of an illness come to be known as Wolfsbane. Lunids are reported to be Changing into werewolf form without any relationship to their two moons' influences. It doesn't take long for society to begin to unravel and conspiracy theories to point the finger at-- vampires. Originally started as a lighthearted 'opposites attract' kind of story, but then 2020 happened.

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

Summary: A hook-up gone bad can be purrder. Fresh from a breakup, deeply closeted freshman Zach jumps at the chance to housesit his family home and enjoy a long, horny summer free of both his ex and his religious parents. But when an old enemy turned hot hook-up falls to his death, Zach turns to the only true friend he’s ever known—his cat, Grace Jones. With the dead man’s phone and a knack for texting, she promises Zach help, for a price that will satisfy both their appetites. Does it matter if Grace Jones’ powers draw on something far more ancient and sinister than a cell phone? “Get laid, Zachary. Get laid.” Each new hook-up brings Zach darkly humorous discoveries about life, love, sex, and his own desires. But Zach knows it’s only a matter of time before someone discovers his secret. Can he rely on his feline protector, or is he trapped in a hungry devil’s bargain? Christian Baines is an awkward nerd turned slightly less awkward novelist. His work includes the paranormal series The Arcadia Trust, novella Skin, and Puppet Boy, a finalist for the 2016 Saints and Sinners Emerging Writer Award. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living, writing, and shivering in Toronto, Canada on the occasions he can’t find his passport.

Word Count: Click here to reveal59,570 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A Realm falls to the darkness. An outcast because of his mixed heritage, Braedyn of the Dark, Captain of the Royal Shields and protector of the Prince of the Southern Woodland Realm, maintains his position through sheer grit and skill. Connected to a hawk familiar, Cerin, his magic is a mixture of Arcane and wielding. At the High King’s orders, he remains by his Prince’s side through a treacherous journey through the Lands to discover answers and a new home. Losing his Realm, his parents, and his position in one-night, High Prince Conchobar Ó Díomasaigh is completely out of his familiarity. Running for his life, relying only on his protector and Captain, he digs deep to survive their trials, the growing darkness, and go wherever they must to save their Realm. At the same time, he sees his Captain in a different light and the deepening connection between them. Strange adventures. New allies. Growing connections. Can they survive this wild journey to save the elves, the Realm, and their lives?

Word Count: Click here to reveal99000 (Click here to hide)

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Summary: Dive into this collected edition of the first three volumes of The Darkly Enchanted Romance series. Sweet and sultry historical romances with just the right amount of spookiness! ~ THE HARVEST MOON In the shadows of late autumn, Malcolm comes across a quaint village tucked away in the forest. It seems the perfect spot for a weary traveller to lay his head, and maybe find a little company. But there is dark magic afoot, and lots of local gossip swirls around the seductive titian-haired weaver, Daniel. All Malcolm sought was a night's pleasure. He never suspected he would have to worry about losing his life. Or his heart. THE GHOST OF HILLCOMB HALL On a stormy night, landscape designer Jonas arrives at the cheerless and fog enswathed Hillcomb Hall. He finds an odd trio of ladies in residence and an eerie portrait of the hauntingly attractive portrait of a stately ancestor, which constantly seems to watch his every move. His nights are filled with weird dreams and otherworldly visitations. Is the manor house truly haunted? Or is it all just a trick of the mind, a sinister game being played by the inhabitants of Hillcomb Hall? MANCHESTER LAKE Monty, along with his best friend Bishop, discovers a mystical selkie in Manchester Lake who transforms into a gorgeous man of his dreams. Together they adventure through a tastefully debauched house party, an Edwardian novelty called a “night club,” and a macabre Parisian cabaret. As their journey unfolds, they come face-to-face with ghoulish agents of the occult as well as startling discoveries - including Monty’s realization that he is falling for the beautiful creature from the lake. Can he really be in love so soon, or is there a past connection? And what does it all have to do with his past trip to Paris? Before their adventure ends long-hidden secrets will erupt in a storm of magic and passion!

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Summary: When forced to choose between ending his father’s curse and his fear of commitment, will Kyle embrace his destiny or will he turn away and let the world burn around him? Kyle doesn’t believe in destiny. In fact, he’s fought against it most of his life. When his homophobic father cursed him and his brothers to never find love, Kyle decided he didn’t need it anyway. As a gay man, why settle with one man when you can have many? Conley has never clicked with the community his ancestors created in the dimension between worlds. All this changes when he goes on his vision quest, and learns that the community's survival may depend on him and a stranger he’s never met. As Kyle fights against destiny and Conley struggles to embrace it, can these two men overcome the evil that stalks their journey and accept the spark of love that’s growing between them or will the darkness destroy them and everything they love? Ruby Fire is the conclusion of the Witch Brother’s Saga… A fated mates, self-sacrifice, urban fantasy novel.

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Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Questioning, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Alistair Lennox is disagreeable. Isolated and miserable, with parents who don’t care about him, his life has been equal parts privilege and loneliness. But when his parents die, his life is turned upside down. In order to gain his inheritance, Alistair is forced to attend a college he's never heard of - for good reason. Misselthwaite College is a school for the magically gifted Alistair has no magical gifts - unless being magically inept counts. What were his parents thinking? And what is the mysterious affliction plaguing William Carlisle, the affluent and arrogant heir to Misselthwaite? Is there a connection to the strange key Alistair discovers in a book, the stranger noises in the night, and, strangest of all, the multiple men who desire his friendship? Misselthwaite has no end of secrets. But if being disagreeable is good for anything, it's for getting to the bottom of mysteries. -- Garden of Secrets is book one in a duology, and the first installment in a magical new universe. A Secret Garden retelling with a queer twist and featuring MMMM polyamory.

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Summary: Is it kidnapping or a supernatural attraction none of them can escape?   With no answers to what it’s about, Matthew and his captors embark on a  journey to discover the truth.   Part three of a serialized paranormal Rockstar romance featuring mythical beings and multiple pairings. Better read in order.

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Summary: Is this man his first real chance at love… or will his father’s curse stop it from happening? Will pursuing this newfound love put both their lives at risk? Lance loved his grandmother, but even though he knew it was real, he tried hard not to buy into all her witch stuff. But it was real enough that his homophobic father had cursed him and his brothers to never find love. Regardless of what Lance believed or wanted to believe, his late grandmother Gwen’s young friend and former roommate Drew was causing him to feel things he didn’t want and didn’t trust. After all, love had only ever left him in pain. Drew is a pragmatist. His skills with magic only heightened under the mentorship of his late friend Gwen. When Gwen’s much too sexy and arrogant grandson shows up to collect his grandmother’s things, Drew is immediately dragged into a decades long drama filled with curses and malicious hatred embodied in the cantation of Lance’s father. The curse Lance’s father cast on him and his brothers continues to plague him. Because of their attraction, the love/hate relationship emboldens the curse and puts both men’s lives at risk. Will the two men learn to trust one another, or will their animosity be what the curse needs to destroy them both once and for all?

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Summary: Cursed to never find love, Crea is shocked when he finds the perfect man. Choosing to fight the curse could cost him everything, including his life. After his father cursed him, Crea has faced decades of dead end relationships. Just as he’s almost given up hope he finds a handsome stranger broken on the side of a desolate road. Once he drops the stranger off at the hospital, he figures all is done. Nothing could be further from the truth. The stranger becomes so much more as he pursues Crea, threatening the curse. Crea learns quickly falling in love is easy, but surviving a nasty cantation that’s determined to destroy you, isn’t as much. Eli isn’t what you’d call a social person. His love for isolation in his beloved forest fully defines him. After breaking his leg in a mishap, Eli’s life is turned upside down as his life is filled with things he didn’t even dream of having before. Unfortunately, those dreams turn to nightmares as he and Crea, the man he’s become bonded to, battle a curse that should’ve never been cast. Crea and Eli’s bonding must be strong enough to overcome the curse, or they could both be lost, forever.

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Lornyc is good at keeping secrets, because secrets can get you killed. Will someone rid him of this troublesome Mage? Seemingly not, and Lornyc’s going to have do it himself. There’s a good reason no one had invoked the Reckoning to become the Supreme Mage of Beher for over a quarter of a century, but Lornyc couldn’t keep his big mouth shut. Five tasks, five chances to fail, and that’s just the warm up for the magical head-to-head. Pity his Reagalos powers don’t work like Mage magic, so he’ll need to think fast, and run even faster.

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

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

Summary: Betrayed, Morric McShayne, a bloodline elemental witch, wakes during a lightning storm, bound to a post—the latest sacrifice to appease a dragon. He swears to survive as the last McShayne and there is no dragon until a powerful claw plucks him away from the precipice. With every equinox, the dragon’s keeper, Xavier, pushes back the loneliness. The keeper holds a secret until magic flares. This sacrifice is different. They battle desire and duty. When a single kiss changes everything, can the Fae help them answer more secrets and a legend’s promise? Do they fight against Fate’s choice?

Word Count: Click here to reveal115000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A group of strangers meets at Ragazzi, an Italian restaurant, for a cooking lesson that will change them all. They quickly become intertwined in each other's lives, and a bit of magic touches each of them. Meet Dave, the consultant who lost his partner; Matteo and Diego, the couple who run the restaurant; recently-widowed Carmelina; Marcos, a web designer getting too old for hook-ups; Ben, a trans author writing the Great American Novel; teenager Marissa, kicked out for being bi; and Sam and Brad, a May-September couple who would never have gotten together without a little magic of their own. Everyone in the River City has a secret, and sooner or later secrets always come out. Narrated by Michael Lysan.

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

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

Summary: Knitting. Ice Cream. And a Matchmaking Fae. Quiet, industrious Finn dreams of his own knitting store. He needs Leo’s enthusiasm to make him reach for what he wants. Cheerful, adventurous Leo sells artisan ice cream but shies away from fulfilling his grandmother’s last wish. He needs Finn’s love and support to put his past to rest for good. Add a Saxon treasure, a fae stranded in the human world, and an empty store with very unusual rental terms - and falling in love is not the only challenge Finn and Leo have to face. Making a dream come true takes work. But there's magic in dreams if Finn and Leo can hold on tight. *** Tags: I'm only here for socks and ice cream. Sometimes you just click with another guy even if you're opposites. I look at you and know what I'll be knitting. How to share a house with someone you've just met. Utensils don't sparkle, right? Grandmas rock. Making a deal with a burglar. Roisin is a decorating wiz and Finn worries about antique furniture. If you don't talk to me, I can't help you. Finding treasure at inopportune moments. And yes, there's a happy ending.