It's out! All proceeds go to charity It Gets Better: itgetsbetter.org
O Deadly Night is back, and this time the happiest season of all is hiding even more secrets.
So you better watch out. I’ll tell you why. The lights don’t twinkle as bright where the villains hide. And there’s no comfort and joy to be found in the darkness, even if it is the holiday season.
Join several dark MM authors as they once again explore the darker half of the holidays while also spreading cheer and support to LGBTQ youth.
*O Deadly Night Volume 2 is a Dark MM anthology with all proceeds to be donated to It Gets Better with a foreword from Mozzarus Scout, organizer's note by Faith Ryan, and featuring stories by:
Alex J. Adams Sean Azinsalt Bey Deckard Abrianna Denae Elouise R East MJ Green K.L. Hiers Alexis Jane Briar Kearney Leigh Kenzie Davidson King Reese Knightley Duckie Mack R. Phoenix & Adara Wolf Jack L. Pyke Remi Varlow
Santa's Workshop by Bey Deckard
When two young men are abducted from different towns, imprisoned and forced to suffer the unimaginable at the hands of a madman in a Santa suit, they discover solace in each other’s embrace. But can they find the strength to escape their nightmarish incarceration before it’s too late?
Each year, hundreds of writers send in stories for the Queer Sci Fi flash fiction anthology. Here are the opening lines from some of the stories chosen for the 2019 edition – Migration:
“Darkness has substance. It is tangible; different shades within the black, sounds, a taste. It is accompanied by self-awareness of time and thoughts, even when other senses fail.” —Hope for Charity, by Robyn Walker
“The sky has been screaming for five straight days when the shrimps come to take us away. They’ve been boxing up the others and hauling them off. Now they’re here for us, soaking wet, dragging cords and crates behind them.” —Shrimpanzee, Sionnain Bailey
“Allister always had faultless hair. He’d comb and gel it to perfection while gazing in the mirror. One day a pair of eyes stared back.” —Zulu Finds a Home, by Kevin Klehr
“On her sister’s wedding day Ari noticed that one of her ears had migrated to her hand. It was right after her high school crush, Emily, arrived with Cousin Matt.” —Playing It By Ear, Aidee Ladnier
“The wound was fatal. Their vessel wouldn't live much longer. This is what came from leaving loose ends. Frantically they sought out a new vessel to migrate to. “ —The Essence, by L.M. Brown
“That night, we were sitting in the bed of her daddy’s old pickup truck and the radio was playing the best song. We had a pack of cigarettes between us and her hand was almost touching mine. The wheat field was silver in the moonlight. When they came, we weren’t surprised, just disappointed that our time was up already.” —Our Song, by Lauren Ring
“Willow said she was my wife, but I knew it wasn’t her, not the right her, anyway. Sure she looked like her with olive skin and bright pink hair. She even smelled of mango flowers, just like I remembered, but there was something about her smile that was slightly off, something about when she said she loved me that didn’t sit well in my old heart.” — They Said It Would Be Her, by Elizabeth Andre
“Agnes is eight when she first sees the river. Cutting its way through town, the only thing she knows not coated in coal dust. She sticks her toes in, comes home with wet socks and a secret. See, the river hadn’t been there yesterday.” —Stream of Consciousness, by Ziggy Schutz
“Terry twirled in her green synthsilk dress, looked at her reflection, liked what she saw. She felt good in her own skin, for maybe the first time.” —Altball, by RE Andeen
“The thing was in the corner. It had come through the window and had slid down the wall. Scratch went the sound. The noise of a hundred nails clawing at the wood. Nails of white bone. Alex pulled the sheets up quickly, covering every inch of skin and hair in a warm darkness.” —Whose Nightmare, by Jamie Bonomi
Author Bio
A hundred and twenty authors are included in Migration:
Butterflies, by A O'Donovan
The Return, by A.M. Leibowitz
A New Spring, by Aaron Silver
Universal Quota, by Abby Bartle
The Call of Home, by Adrienne Wilder
Starfall, by Adrik Kemp
Playing it By Ear, by Aidee Ladnier
Rabbit, by Amanda Thomas
That Does Not Love…, by Andi Deacon
Inborn, by Andrea Speed
Saving Ostakis, by Angelica Primm
A Dawn Wish, by Antonia Aquilante
Diaspora, by Ariel E. James
Transmigration, by Ashby Danvers
Across the Mirror, by Ava Kelly
Between, by BE Allatt
The Speck, by Bey Deckard
The King of the Mountain Cometh, by Bob Goddard
Before and After, by C. A. Chesse
Home, by C.A. McDonald
Too Much Tech, by C.L. Mannarino
Ze Who Walks Into the Future, by Carey Ford Compton
The Gate, by Carol Holland March
Our Last Light Skip, by Chloe Spencer
Passage, by Christine Taylor-Butler
The Perils of Pick-Up Lines, by Colton Aalto
Parched, by Crysta K. Coburn
Changeling Dreams, by Damian Serbu
Destinations, by Dave Creek
Another Job, Another Planet, by David Viner
Thiefmaster Rosalind's Apprentice, by Devon Widmer
A Weight Off Their Shoulders, by Diane Morrison
Once a Year, by Dianne Hartsock
Mettle, by Die BoothForever Bound, by E.W. Murks
They Said It Would Be Her, by Elizabeth Andre
Til Death Do Us Part, by Elizabeth Anglin
Little One, by Eloreen Moon
GBFN, by Emilia Agrafojo
The Long Distance Thing, by Ether Nepenthes
Call My People Home, by Evelyn Benvie
Jace vs. the Incubi, by Eytan Bernstein
A New Tradition, by Foster Bridget Cassidy
The Curious Cabinet, by Ginger Streusel
Ready, by Hank Edwards
The Albatrosses, by Harry F. Rey
A Boy's Shadow, by Helen De Cruz
Portrait of a Lady, by Isobel Granby
Beam That Is In, by J. Comer
The Hunt, by J. R. Frontera
Repeating History, by J. Summerset
Neil's Journey, by J.P. Bowie
Homeward Bound, by J.S. Garner
Whose Nightmare?, by Jamie Bonomi
A Moment of Bravery, by Jessie Pinkham
Laetus, by Jet Lupin
Where You Go, I'll Follow, by Joe Baumann
Ambrose Out of Ash, by Jonathan Fesmire
Shooting Modes, by Joshua Darrow
TerrorForm, by Juam Jocom
The Curse, by Jude Reid
Throwing Eggs, by K E Olukoya
Fly, by Kayleigh Sky
The Keep, by KC Burn
Zulu Finds a Home, by Kevin Klehr
The Risks and Advantages of Data Migration, by Kim Fielding
Irreversible, by kim gryphon
Looner, by Krishan Coupland
The Essence, by L.M. Brown
Our Song, by Lauren Ring
O Human Child, by Lisa Hamill
Goodbye Marghretta, by Lou Sylvre
Choices, by LV Lloyd
Endangered Species, by M Joseph Murphy
Planet Retro, Unplugged, by M. X. Kelly
Elemental, by M.D. Grimm
To Wish on a Love Knot, by Margaret McGaffey Fisk
Firebirds, by Marita M. Connor
Breeding Season, by Mary Newman
Kooks at Home, by Matt McHugh
Spring, by Mere Rain
Into the South, by Mindy Leana Shuman
Not How We Planned It, by Minerva Cerridwen
What Is Left Behind, by Monique Cuillerier
How Far Would You Go for the One You Love?, by Nathan Alling Long
Innocence, by Nathaniel Taff
Heart and Soul, by Nils Odlund
Tides, by Patricia Scott
Killer Queen, by Paula McGrath
Genesis, by Pelaam
If Pigs Could Fly, by Penelope Friday
Click, by R R Angell
Be Kind to Strangers, by Raina Lorring
Altball, by RE Andeen
Far From Home, by Riley S. Keene
Hope for Charity, by Robyn Walker
Night Comes to the Bea Arthur, by Rory Ni Coileáin
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.
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
Rakka Surprise It was a simple task, a bit of diplomacy, on a new world for some blue bloods of the Polyverse Coalition. Unfortunately, Captain Drayan failed to read the fine print, the bits that put his sensory system into freefall. Good thing he had Sitik the Rakka, his first mate, to sort it all out. Except, that sorting led to more fine print and a Rakka surprise to end all surprises.
UnCommon Lands
Don't miss this next installment from the UnCommon anthologies series
UnCommon Lands: A Collection of Rising Tides, Outer Space and Foreign Realms
UnCommon Lands presents 20 unique depictions of fantastic places and alien landscapes. These stories of the human (and inhuman) experience transcend time and place and will transport you to worlds you've never imagined. Including new and veteran voices, our UnCommon Authors bring you stories which span multiple genres, but hold together on a framework of quality storytelling and a solid theme. UnCommon Lands reminds us that where we are from isn't as important as where we are going.
Heads up! UnCommon Bodies is on sale until 2/7 for 99¢ at Amazon. Get your copy today :)
Murphy approved! Look at that face... how can you say no to a copy? :)
List of Stories Included:
Don’t Touch Me by Bey Deckard: Fighting is what Beau does best, because the very thing he dreads is exactly what lends him the extraordinary strength to defeat even the worst odds. And he does it all with the help of his angel, the woman he longs desperately to hold… but can’t.
We is We By Michael Harris Cohen: We is we follows a day in Mary and Millie’s life, traveling sideshow freaks who’ve lost touch with the outside world.
Undead Cyborg Girl by Kim Wells: When she wakes up undead after receiving a cyborg assassin upgrade surgical procedure, Undead Girl’s life is forever changed. Is it for the better? She has all the skills, but she needs a job, she needs some friends, and she needs to remember who she is. Part 1 of the Cyborg Story trilogy.
Skin By Brent Meske: After constant bullying in high school, Patricia vows to change her name and her entire being. When she gains the ability to mold and sculpt flesh, that vow very quickly becomes a terrifying reality.
Scars: First Session by Jordanne Fuller: After a life of abuse, Abigail made the decision to cover her scars with tattoos. What she didn’t expect was to confront her emotional scars in the process.
Mermaids By Robert Pope: Recently graduated from college, with no work prospects, Aqua-boy—so called because of the webbing between his toes—watches and listens to a group of musicians at a bar/restaurant when he notices the woman playing a diminutive red accordion has six fingers.
In Her Image By Vasil Tuchkov: An English PHD student arrives at the scenic but haunting countryside of Matera, Italy, looking for answers. His translator introduces him to a crippled local painter who claims to have depicted the impossible. As the three men converse near the ancient settlement’s caverns, a mystery unravels.
Three Poems By Deanne Charlton: It Runs in the Family, Brenga’s Body, Eternity in a One-night Stand
Reserved by SM Johnson writes: It’s been five years since the accident that killed Pete Spencer’s younger lover and left him grieving, bitter, and broken. He’s tired of his lonely world, but the kind of young men he’s attracted to dismiss him the moment their eyes land on his cane. Pete’s learned to hide behind the safety of his reserve, but he’s never met anyone like Rory.
UnTamed by Laxmi Hariharan: Wolf girl Leana Iyeroy, the first half breed in her family, only ever wanted to be 100% human. An unexpected encounter with the Hugging Saint of Bombay, forces Leana to face the wolf inside her.
Ruby and Deidre by Robb Grindstaff Writer-Editor: A shorter than average man admires a taller than average woman from afar.
All The Devils by @Keira Michelle Telford: It’s 1889, and women are being killed in the East End of London. They’ve become the targets of a deranged sexual killer, but why? Because they’re prostitutes? Sapphists? Or something else entirely?
Ruby By Bob Williams: It’s nineteen thirty-six and the town of Ransom, Oklahoma is barely functioning after the “Dust Bowl” storm of the year before. Michael Wootten sits upon the porch of his dilapidated house and watches a caravan of trucks pull into town. Melvin Mitchell Presents: Ruby and her Amazing FreakShow Friends. Maybe this is just the thing to pump a little spirit into the near-dead town. But everything comes at a price, and Ms. Ruby always takes her cut.
Phantom Pain By Philip Harris: Phantom Pain follows amputee, Mariana Jacobs, as she visits a man who claims to have information she needs. But that information comes at a cost.
Daedalus’ Daughter By PK Tyler: After her father’s death, Isha begins sprouting feathers.
The Zealot By Chris Godsoe: Six months ago, Tobin Maldovan was in charge of a manhunt for an enigmatic hacker named ATLAS. He lost his man near the Canadian border after a high speed chase, but not before ATLAS pulled strings to transfer the woman he Tobin loves across the country, hampering any chance at reconciliation. With ATLAS having escaped his jurisdiction, Tobin had nothing left but to follow his wife to California, seeking reassignment at the West Coast cyberterrorism field office. His reputation preceeds him, and he has drawn the case pursuing a man the media has taken to calling “The Zealot.” As usual, Tobin pours himself into his work, but the work becomes personal in ways that he never would have imagined.
Made for This By Sessha Batto: On the heels of unimaginable loss comes reinvention. Sometimes the gain is worth going through hell.
Unbreakable Heart By Rebecca Poole: A cyborg must escape her creators in order to survive.
Saltwater Assassin By Samantha Warren: Syren has spent her life as a sideshow freak, caged in a tank of saltwater and gawked at by hundreds of normal humans. She has a secret, though. At night, when the lights are finally off and the fair goers leave, she turns into a human–a mermaid assassin.
The Well-Rounded Head By Sally Basmajian: A woman is smitten with her husband’s big, entirely round head. One day she notices that his temples appear to be slightly indented, so that his head is no longer a perfect sphere. This revolts her, and she moves into their guest room in order to avoid him. When he breaks in, she kills him, in a most bizarre way.
I have a new short story coming out next week called Don't Touch Me in the UnCommon Bodies anthology. It's a story about a guy named Beau who has a severe touch disorder. It's not erotic. Not gay. Just plain ol' fiction with a lot of heart.
It's a departure from my norm, but I feel like I've said that so many times now that I'm not going to say it anymore... I don't think I have a "norm". I just write what comes to mind, I guess.
Who is Beau? Where did the story come from?
Well, he's named after a guy I went to high school with. Stocky, muscular, handsome but sort of brooding. We lifted weights together some. He just had this unexpected, straightforward sweet/nice-guy side to him that I liked. But, I don't know what happened to him. I just flipped through the yearbooks I have for the last two years of high school, and he's only in the first one... his name's not even in it, just his picture. Hell, I can't even remember if he spelled his name Beau or Bo, and no recollection of his family name.
The touch aversion thing... Well that's my problem. As far back as I can remember, I've had problems with people touching me. Unexpected touch is the worst - I've punched a few friends accidentally when they had the misfortune of startling me awake with a touch. Thankfully, no hard feelings. If I know that I need to be touched, I can steel myself. Blasting music in my headphones on a busy bus works too. By overwhelming another sense, I can limit the effects of human contact. It's probably why I don't mind concerts... dark, loud, and I'm usually with my friend Mike who also likes standing in the back where it's less crowded. Alcohol helps. :) I can get downright cuddly depending who I'm with and how much I've had to drink. But generally? Yeah... no touchie.
It's me. Not you.
I can't even really explain it. It just feels wrong. Makes me slightly nauseous. My whole body cringes. My mother said that as a newborn, I would rather lay by myself than be held, and, as Beau says about himself, one of the first things I did was push her away.
Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person that people like to touch. Whether it's my tattoos or my hair or just... reaching out to pat or squeeze my arm while we're talking (it's overwhelmingly women who do this heh), people seem drawn to touch me. Then I'm torn about whether telling them how much it bothers me (after which most people either take offence and/or start treating me like a freak) and just putting up with it.
I'm nowhere near as bad as Beau in Don't Touch Me, however.
Anyhoo... that's the story of the story. You should check out the book, available for preorder through Amazon. It'll be live on the 24th of November, and if you haven't already, you should enter the giveaway... the authors have gotten together to give away a Kindle.
