paranormal – ghosts & haunted houses

Word Count: Click here to reveal17520 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: After barely surviving their terrifying encounter with the spectre of the hooded monk during the previous autumn, Christian Maxwell and Sam Gillespie have consolidated their romantic relationship and are starting to gain a reputation for dealing with the unknown. For this reason, they receive an invitation to Haverford House in Wiltshire during the spring of 1817. The owners of the historic haunted manor house, Mr. and Mrs. Huxley, are being afflicted by a series of inexplicable incidents. With his sensitivity to atmosphere, Christian is immediately alerted to danger. Yet, despite their best efforts, neither he nor Sam can discern the cause, although their search brings them closer as a couple and as a team. As sinister events develop, can our devoted duo unmask the culprit without putting themselves in danger?

Word Count: Click here to reveal54000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Zeke Hanson hunts things in the night. He learned about hunting from his dad until his murder forced Zeke into foster care. Outgoing & with an easy charm, Zeke keeps his emotions safely hidden--especially his ever-deepening love for his foster brother/bestie, Ian. Ian Clark is a smart, intuitive young man with his own tragic past. He’s adored Zeke since their first night as roommates. Zeke's warmth and kindness made the foster home feel safe. Ian's platonic feelings for Zeke have grown into love and physical yearning. When their foster sister is murdered, Ian abandons his plans to attend community college & instead joins Zeke on his hunting travels. They can't stop human monsters, but they can fight supernatural ones. Hunting together & dealing with dangerous situations deepens their bond. Hiding their true feelings is nearly impossible, but the risk of rejection and abandonment is scarier than any monster. When Zeke’s life is at risk, Ian must make a choice. Will they admit their love or will it---and Zeke---perish?

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

Summary: Life for Kenny Somerton had just begun. Recent college graduate who snagged his dream job and had been sent to attend a business meeting in New Orleans. A place at the top of his bucket list. What was even more fortuitous was this year his birthday fell during Mardi Gras. How could he not fly in a few days early to celebrate? The streets were packed, and the bars filled to the brim. It took forever to get through the line to get a drink, and by sheer luck, he snagged a barstool at the same time. Ah, now he could relax and listen to the band play. Their sound was so surreal, so alluring, and Kenny swayed to the music. Shadow Wraith. The name ghosted through the air and there he was. Banjo. An unforgettable first time. Though one sultry night was not enough with Mister Right. Hot Nights in the Big Easy is a multi-author collection of stories written during our author retreat. So sit back, relax, and enjoy New Orleans with our boys.

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Summary: After their daughter was bullied at school, Kyle and Alejandro decided to make a fresh start and move into a beautiful new cul-de-sac development. As they take up residence, the family enjoys seeing the community come to life. But when lights flicker, shadows lurk, and small objects disappear, they begin to doubt their sanity. When Alejandro and many of their neighbors are struck down by a strange sickness that defies explanation, the family starts to question their recent life change. Feeling trapped they speak with their new neighbors, learning they aren’t alone in the haunted neighborhood. Who do you turn to when the authorities can’t offer any assistance or protection? How do you fight against a sinister force that is older than time? Can Kyle, Alejandro and the rest of the occupants of Golden Hills Court survive or will this nightmarish ordeal destroy them?

Word Count: Click here to reveal113803 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tragedy struck one night, leaving Nathan with a permanent limp and a curse—the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. For six years, Nathan’s done everything he can to avoid them. But a persistent ghost, Alan, haunts Nathan every chance he gets until Nathan reluctantly agrees to reunite him with his fiancé for a chance to find peace. A turn of fate and a stolen CD brings Erik into Nathan’s life. Erik is everything Nathan believes he doesn’t deserve. But Erik is Alan’s lost love. Now he must untangle the threads of Alan’s death while hoping to keep the newfound love of his life. Will Nathan decide to expose his supernatural burden, or let Alan wander without rest forever? Love and trust hang in the balance as Nathan confronts the ghosts of his past and the man who threatens to shatter the wall guarding his heart.

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

Summary: Information not available

Word Count: Click here to reveal87400 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Genderfluid, Genderqueer (Click here to hide)

Summary: A winter storm blows through Salem, Massachusetts, setting young witch Alexander MacBeth on a perilous path to adulthood as his dying mother gifts him an heirloom and pleads for him to use it to survive. To do so, he will need to perfect his inherited witchcraft to protect himself from those who want him dead. In his journey to adulthood, he falls in love with dashing nobleman Crispin Nottingham. Abandoned by Crispin and pursued by the Puritans, he finds he must harness the wind to assist his escape and flee his homeland aboard a pirate ship led by the handsome captain, Henri the Twisted. Struggling against distrustful pirates, an evil witch, and his continued longing for Crispin, Alexander sharpens his magical skills and falls into a romance with Henri. Chaos and danger confront him at every turn, even as he searches for love and belonging. A new sail on the horizon may signal hope or more danger than ever before—if Alexander can survive to meet his future.

Word Count: Click here to reveal67000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In 1594 the Dark Earldom of Crofton was created by one of the most powerful vampire sires to have walked the Earth. Now Ben Redbourn needs to take his seat at the Vampire Council as the 3rd Dark Earl of Crofton, whether he likes it or not. Under investigation, Ben has to contend with Senior Warlock Ashley Niven invading his home. But there is more hidden at Crofton Hall than Ashley could have imagined with Ben having a demon valet, an elf secretary, and a werewolf in the archive. Tempers are raised and sparks fly in all the wrong ways until a spell misfires and the tension shifts in a different, passionate, direction which has Ben and Ashley fighting to ignore their instincts. Subterfuge is the first in a paranormal gay romance series. Come and experience a darker side of Crofton Hall.

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

Summary: Since Bran Tanda started working at the morgue, his life has changed. He’s spent most of his life denying his necromancer abilities, but now he knows there’s no other choice but to embrace it and learn as much as he can about it. No matter how much he hates it. Jordan Amid is becoming more comfortable being around the dead. But they still overwhelm him and terrify him. The coldness and the heavy emotions he associates with being near a spirit are nearly too much for him to take. But for Bran, he’ll try. Bran and Jordan soon realize there is more going on than they understand, and even Janis isn’t sure how to handle what she knows is coming for them. Mysterious markings continue to appear and unless they can learn more from the journals Bran finds at his house, there may be no hope for anyone.

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 reveal62000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Indiana Jones meets The Magpie Lord in this suspenseful MM Victorian era romance from award-winning author Stephanie Lake. Tormented by nightmares, and fighting to maintain his sanity, Kit Asplin struggles to keep his business afloat. He might sell the occasional ancient artifact to make ends meet, but he never mixes business with pleasure. And he certainly does not have time for an inexperienced, prickly Englishman with a flirty sidekick. Everything Dylan Mansfield holds dear is in jeopardy. If he doesn’t find a specific sacred object for his mentor, he and Bertie will lose their positions, and the only family they know. Their future lies in the hands of a man for hire, who seems a rather shady character. Can Dylan trust Kit who trades in stolen artifacts and secrets? And if that’s not enough to cause Dylan angina, the object he must uncover and take to England has alternate plans. His Tomb Raider is the first book in the Magic of the Lost Temple series. If you like charming characters and rich plots, you’ll love this page-turning historical romance by award-winning author Stephanie Lake. Discover this must-read paranormal series today! “Stephanie Lake gives us appealing characters, fun storylines, and crisp prose. I especially enjoy the skill she uses with her historical settings. Her stories are perfect when I need an escape from the here and now.” – Kim Fielding, award-winning author of The Bureau series. “Bold, sensual historical settings that immerse you in the experience and characters that bring the past startlingly to life.” – Amy Lane, award-winning author of Fish out of Water series.

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Summary: Try a small taste of three paranormal series featuring different creatures of the night. Ghost hunters, vampires, and gargoyles, all with their stories to tell. Each of them hoping to somehow find their other half in the strange world they live in. Ghost Hunted: Proving ghosts are real is something Jason Thomas had always dreamed of. Visiting the haunted places, he’d been obsessed with since he was a kid, and playing amateur ghost hunters with his best friend Wade, is a passion that’s only grown. As the years passed, Jason's fascination with ghosts was too big to contain, and he'd drag Wade along to different haunted houses or hotels, always hoping to see an actual ghost. Wade Rivers has always loved spending time with Jason, even if it meant he'd have to endure another creepy, supposedly haunted location. Before he knew it, Wade's feelings for Jason deepened from friendship into something more. Unfortunately, so did his fear of the places Jason wanted to explore. The chance to spend a weekend alone in a famous haunted house was too much for Jason to resist, and almost too much for Wade to endure. He knew going to the deserted house was everything Jason had ever dreamed of, so Wade tried to put his fears aside. But when strange things start to happen, admitting to Jason how he feels suddenly isn't the scariest thing Wade will encounter. A friends to lovers, paranormal romantic thriller. Burning Addiction: Brennan Clayton lived a life of privilege and comfort, until experimenting with drugs in college led to him quitting school to live the life of an addict. His days are spent doing odd jobs for cash to pay for his habit. One night, he overdoses and nearly dies. Doctor Lucas Martel works nightshift in the emergency room at Eureka Hospital. He’s reclusive and brilliant at his job, and he’s all too aware that not everything in Eureka is as it seems. He’s also a vampire, one who chooses to blend in with humans rather than feed on them. Something strange is happening to the homeless and addicts on the streets of Eureka; many have gone missing or ended up dead, and others have overdosed on drugs so strong, no human cure can counteract them. Not normally concerned with human tragedies, the vampires can’t stand back and let this play out, or they risk exposing their world to the humans. Brennan must face his demons, and Lucas will discover many things about himself, and what he believes to be true: a seedy underground of rogue vampires and drugs that must be stopped, at any cost. *Warning: contains references to drug use and abuse. Stone Under Skin: 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. MM Paranormal Fantasy (Includes book one from The Valley Ghosts Series, The Consortium Trilogy, and the Stone Series.)

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

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

Summary: Alan I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life. Jason I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells. It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this. Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and 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 snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.

Word Count: Click here to reveal13,223 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Findley Black knows a little something about serial killers. What he doesn’t know is why anyone would want to reenact a series of murders that took place more than ninety years ago, which he’s read a great deal about as part of his annual Halloween ghosts tours. Unless, of course, it’s not a copycat at all and the Reaper of Shivelly Park is back for vengeance. Owen Key never considered himself much for domesticity, but the last two years with his boyfriend Findley have him reevaluating his priorities. His family at The Printer’s Devil is growing, he has a new book on the way, and he wants nothing more than to make Findley an honest man. And what better time to pop the question than on Halloween, the second anniversary of their sort-of first date? But the night has other plans, and Findley and Owen will find themselves with something more pressing than a romantic evening. The ghost of the Shivelly Park Reaper is on the loose. But when no one believes them, they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. Because, well ... the Reaper might just get away with it if not for Findley, Owen, and the kids. And Bella. You can’t forget the cat.

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.*

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.

Word Count: Click here to reveal10300 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Web Webster’s plan to own the muscle car he’s a passenger in is sidetracked when the driver wrecks the vehicle. Needing a new ID, Web barely has time to inhabit the body beside him. Web’s savior manages the accident with authorities and offers to put Web up at his place. Lying in the man’s bed, Web has one thought. If he’s not gay -- he will be for me! Casper Wainright is known for his penchant for fast, shiny cars. When a classic beauty rams a tree on his property, he helps the occupant escape before extinguishing the flames. The stranger needs a place to convalesce. Something about the stranger entices Cas, who decides one room in his house has a bed that has been empty far too long. Little does Cas know what evil he’s invited into his life.

Word Count: Click here to reveal50000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A magical bookshop holds the keys. When Mason Chynoweth inherits an old house in small-town New Zealand, he hopes to discover what happened to his great-great uncle Lewis after he returned from the war in 1945. Mason’s first encounter with the property is thankfully reassuring—his sensitive psychic powers aren’t triggered and he has a calm sense of coming home. Elijah Whitaker arrives in Kedgetown for an extended visit with his aunts. He’s quickly drawn to Mason and offers to help him try to find some answers in the dusty old house. It soon becomes clear that Mason is keeping secrets, but Elijah has a few secrets of his own. Like his closely guarded knowledge of the hidden supernatural world, and the fact that many of the townspeople are psi and supernaturals. What is the connection between the house and Postscript, the town’s enigmatic bookshop? Mason’s glimpses of the past give some clues, but not enough to make sense of the puzzle. When a hidden journal comes to light, the true story of Lewis’s journey is revealed, and his path and Mason and Elijah’s begin to intertwine.

Word Count: Click here to reveal120000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The story of Lars, Sven and the men of Asgard Felag continues: after the Rite of Purification something extraordinary happens and everyone’s life changes forever. Thanks to the help of a mysterious woman, whose nature will gradually reveal itself, the men will begin to set out on the path of their destiny to better discover themselves first of all, even if this means paying a high price, while she will start a different path and at the same time parallel to theirs to become fully herself. Magic, eroticism, mysticism, adventures and revelations alternate in a story where friendship, sex, brotherhood and love become indistinguishable in an ideal tension towards a future in which ancient fractures will be healed, to show humanity a common path in which we focus more on what unites rather than what divides.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85700 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: War brews among vampires. Facing extinction at the hands of an ancient one, the Vampire Council plods along with a secret strategy. Jaret Bachmann, both vampire and witch, fears the Council elders move too slowly. He has the power to assist them in defeating their enemy, but the longer they keep him at arm’s length the more defiant he becomes. He’s already pushing the boundaries to assert his will when tragedy strikes, devastating him and compelling him to become even more rebellious. A young vampire alone in the world, Jaret struggles to find his true self and discover how he wants to spend the remainder of his eternal life, even as the vampire war intensifies and the rogue vampire strikes again. To compound his problems, he’s faced with the allure of a hot renegade vampire, not sure if he is friend or foe. Who will win the war, and where will Jaret’s soul-searching lead him? Find out in The Vampire’s War.