New Releases for June 2014

Featured New Releases:

Freak Camp by Jessica V. Barnett

self-published by author

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Jardine has one priority for the summer: to identify her source — earth, air, water, or fire. Only then can she register for one of the four public source schools and avoid being sent to Fluidity, the local private school for unidentified teens. Things explode the last day of school when Celeste learns that her perfect best friend, May, is going away to earth camp for eight weeks. To add insult to injury, Celeste's mom has decided to send her to summer camp at the very place she has been trying so hard to avoid ... Fluidity. Celeste resolves to try anything under the sun—or on the Internet—to get into source school in the fall. But, after rekindling a friendship with her estranged neighbor, Rainie, Celeste must confront startling new truths about who she is, who she loves, and where she wants to be when fall classes start..

Home for Wayward Ladies by Jeremy Blaustein

Published by Dress Circle Publishing

When used correctly, friendship is the most powerful weapon known to man. Fresh out of Mackinaw Conservatory’s School of Theater, Eli, Hunter, and Nick have relocated to Manhattan’s Upper-Upper West Side bound by an oath that friendship shall conquer all. Amid bitchy brunches and failed one-night stands, these friends- as promising as they are promiscuous are on a quest to have their voices heard over the roar of the city.When they get a chance to work in summer stock, this “family” is forced to find out the hard way what it takes to become the ultimate anything: a somebody. Day jobs pay bills and hand jobs stroke the ego, but handling betrayal with grace is the best way to prove who is a true Lady. “The Home for Wayward Ladies made me laugh out loud, but with a lump in my throat for those funny, warm, real and delightful characters. They're your brother, your son and your friend and it's a treat to hang out with them and hear their very honest and smart voices. I wanted to adopt them all.” - Iris Rainer Dart (Beaches) "The Home for Wayward Ladies isn’t just funny. It’s laugh-out-loud, read-out-loud-to-your-friends, snort-a-cocktail-out-your-nose, lose-bladder-control kind of funny. A gem of a debut in the effervescent tradition of P.G. Wodehouse, Patrick Dennis and Armistead Maupin" - Marc Acito, (How I Paid for College) .

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Why bother, when their home cooking is far superior to anything "these Americans" could come up with? Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshmen year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan. Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. When Ethan gets Alek to cut school and go to a Rufus Wainwright concert in New York City’s Central Park, Alek embarks on his first adventure outside the confines of his suburban New Jersey existence. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again. Michael Barakiva's One Man Guy is a romantic, moving, laugh-out-loud-funny story about what happens when one person cracks open your world and helps you see everything—and, most of all, yourself--like you never have before.

Pretty Pegby Skye Allen

Published by Harmony Ink Press

High school senior Josy Grant already had plenty on her plate before she found the magic puppet theater her murdered sister left behind. Despite Josy’s grief, the responsibility of taking care of her family falls to her, and being queer doesn’t make dealing with school any easier. Things only get worse when sexy new girl Nicky tells Josy her sister died at the hands of a mysterious figure from the Faerie Realm called the Woodcutter, and if they can’t stop him, Josy and her remaining sister will be next. They have just days before the Woodcutter strikes again on the autumn equinox, so Josy follows Nicky into the Faerie Realm to hunt him. Along the way, she discovers Fey gifts of her own and answers to the questions that have driven the Grant family apart. Nothing comes for free when dealing with Fey, though, and those gifts and answers might come at a terrible price.

Shoulder Pads and Flannel by Jo Ramsey

Published by Harmony Ink Press

High school football star Guillermo Garcia can count himself among the popular kids—for now. Although he secretly dates Evan Granger, who is openly gay and badly bullied for it, Guillermo doesn’t dare let his teammates, classmates, or close-knit family learn about his sexuality. But Guillermo witnessed an attack on Evan, and now the school bullies plan to out Guillermo in retaliation. In their small town, word spreads rapidly, so Guillermo must make a quick choice—come out now on his own or risk having someone else do it for him.

Sink or Swim by Zoe Lynne

Self-published by author; FREE Read

When Jason's parents decide to the pull the plug on their marriage, Jason's father forces him to go to a camp that'll turn his son into a strapping young man and not some fairy like Jason's theatre camp does. He hates it there, but the cool kids love him. Thomas Carroll isn't one of the cool kids, not by any stretch of the imagination. He's a chunky boy with bright freckles and hair the color of a copper penny, but somehow, he manages to befriend the cute new boy at camp. Only, the cute new boy only acknowledges their friendship in private. One boy's fear of drowning and hunger to swim leads to an eye-opening experience, and one boy will admit to having feelings and attractions he never would've admitted to otherwise.

New Releases for May 2014

Featured New Releases:

Chasing My Dream by Jeff Erno

Published by Top 2 Bottom Bookstore

Sixteen year old Nash Adams feels like the token gay guy in his small, northern Michigan high school. When his boyfriend dumps him on the very night they're supposed to go to the carnival together, Nash wonders if he'll ever find the guy of his dreams. Later that night, beneath a full moon, Nash gazes into the midnight sky and sees a shooting star. At the urging of his best friend Cala, he halfheartedly makes a wish. A few miles away, Caleb Cummings lies on the beach staring up at the sky when he notices a star that seems to be moving. He makes a wish of his own. When Nash and Caleb fall asleep that night, they wake up together. Though at first confused, it doesn't take long to figure out what has happened. They've entered each other's dreams. Initially they're each convinced the other is a figment of their imagination, but when the phenomena continues to occur, night after night, Nash wonders if there might be a way to find Caleb in real life. It shouldn't be difficult to find someone in this modern, technological age. But as he begins his search, he faces numerous frustrating obstacles. Eventually he has to decide if it is even worth the effort to keep searching for an imaginary friend. Maybe he should give up on his dream guy and look for someone in the real world..

Angles and Curvesby George Berger

Published by Queerteen Press

Steve is a student at a rural Montana high school who is taking twelfth grade for the second time. There he meets Heather and Gretchen, two elves in a relationship who are outcasts just like him. Though elvish kingdoms are formally recognized by the federal government, the Supreme Court doesn’t see elves as human, so they don’t benefit from the same basic rights that others do. Steve is transgendered, and can empathize with the elves’ plight. Friendships are forged between him and the elves when they realize all three have had problems with a bully named Melvin and the jocks at school, who are known to sexually assault elves. Despite his age, Steve lives alone, and has to produce a “parent” for parent/teacher day. He enlists the help of his elvish friends to hire an adult, but their scheme backfires when they’re caught soliciting an undercover policewoman named Sara Raimi. However, with their newfound connection to Sara, they look to find a way to catch Melvin and his cohorts. Angles and Curves is a fresh and enticing story about racism, sexism, and sexuality, and what it means to be human after all..

For a Price by Hallie Burton

Published by Harmony Ink

At seventeen, Charles “Trey” Maddox Taft III has had better years. His father ran off with a younger woman, and with no alimony or child support, his family has to move from affluent Coconut Grove to a rough neighborhood near Miami’s Little Havana. It’s a completely different world, but Trey is determined to make the best of a bad situation, if only no one finds out he’s gay. On Trey’s first day in his new territory, he’s saved from being run over by local bad boy Bobby Cruz. Bobby is an unabashedly gay, sexually active high school senior who’s tired of one-night stands. After meeting preppie Trey, Bobby decides to try something new. Things go well at first, but being in a relationship is tricky and might take more work than either wants to do..

Grave's Endby Hayden Thorne

Published by Queerteen Press

It isn’t business as usual for Maelwine when a new family moves into Grave’s End House. With the old, great house standing untenanted for quite some time, being a house shade attached to it has turned the hours dull for Maelwine. He has no family to entertain him, no variations in his daily duty, which involves the rousing of shadows in every room when the sun goes down. Things change when the Villar family arrive, however, and Maelwine is finally happily caught up in the comings and goings at Grave’s End. That is, until he notices Royden Villar, a young boy with a secret that depresses his spirits and touches Maelwine in surprising and alarming ways. The more Maelwine studies Royden’s behavior, the more he glimpses the other boy’s heart, and, suddenly, new paths reveal themselves to Maelwine -- paths that are as muddy as they are dangerous. As a house shade, Maelwine is immortal and enjoys certain benefits that can only come with immortality. Not once has he questioned his situation. It is, after all, as Nature has always intended. But with Royden’s arrival, Maelwine’s forced to face difficult answers to unsettling questions about the nature of his existence. He’s only a house shade, after all, and nothing more. He doesn’t have a heart, doesn’t feel loneliness in the shadows of his world. Things should be easy, but Royden Villar has set certain wheels in motion, and there’s simply no turning back..

The Little Black Dressby Linda Palund

Published by Harmony Ink

Carmen is the most beautiful and desirable girl Lucy has ever known, and when Carmen is savagely murdered, Lucy’s teenage life crumbles. She is devastated by the loss of her first love, and when it appears the killers might never be found, she vows to solve the murder herself. Together with her best friend Seth, who is not only a master computer hacker but also the son of LA’s new Chief of Homicide, they gain access to the gruesome autopsy reports. They learn the true extent of the horror inflicted on Carmen, and Lucy gets closer to understanding the secret behind Carmen’s little black dress. After another beautiful girl is murdered, they uncover the brutality lurking within the corridors of their privileged Los Angeles high school. They put their lives on the line to come face to face with the murderer himself..

This Is Not a Love Story by Suki Fleet

Published by Harmony Ink

When fifteen-year-old Romeo’s mother leaves one day and doesn’t return, he finds himself homeless and trying to survive on the streets. Mute and terrified, his silence makes him vulnerable, and one night he is beaten by a gang of other kids, only to be rescued by a boy who pledges to take care of him. Julian is barely two years older than Romeo. A runaway from an abusive home, he has had to make some difficult choices and sells himself on the street to survive. Taking care of Romeo changes him, gives him a purpose in life, gives him hope, and he tries to be strong and keep his troubles with drugs behind him. But living as they do is slowly destroying him, and he begins to doubt he can be strong enough. This is the story of their struggle to find a way off the streets and stay together at all costs. But when events threaten to tear them apart, it is Romeo who must find the strength within himself to help Julian (and not let their love story turn into a Shakespearean tragedy).

New Releases for April, 2014

Featured New Releases:

Because of Her by KE Payne

Published by Bold Strokes

For seventeen-year-old Tabitha "Tabby" Morton, life sucks. Big time. Forced to move to London thanks to her father's new job, she has to leave her friends, school, and, most importantly, her girlfriend Amy, far behind. To make matters worse, Tabby's parents enroll her in the exclusive Queen Victoria Independent School for Girls, hoping that it will finally make a lady of her. But Tabby has other ideas. Loathing her new school, Tabby fights against everything and everyone, causing relations with her parents to hit rock bottom. But when the beautiful and beguiling Eden Palmer walks into her classroom one day and catches her eye, Tabby begins to wonder if life there might not be so bad after all. When Amy drops a bombshell about their relationship following a disastrous visit, Tabby starts to see the need for new direction in her life. Fighting her own personal battles, Eden brings the possibility of change for them both. Gradually, Tabby starts to turn her life around—and it's all because of her..

Breaking Free by Winter Page

Published by Harmony Ink Press

Raimi Carter is finally a girl, just like she always knew she was meant to be. At a new school where nobody knows she’s had gender reassignment surgery, she hopes to finally live the normal life she’s longed for, happy in her own skin. Life is great until she discovers a dangerous bully is blackmailing head cheerleader, Clare Strickland, threatening to reveal her secret: she’s gay. As Raimi fights to free Clare from his clutches, the two girls move beyond friendship. But secrets from their pasts and their own fears of coming out tear them apart—maybe forever. Baring their souls to each other could cost them everything. For two girls trapped and desperately in love, only strength, courage, and trust in each other will help them break free and claim their future..

Eagle Peak by Elizabeth Fontaine

Published by Torquere Press (Prizm Division)

Eagle Peak, population 596, has two bars, five churches, and a vibe (or lack thereof) that couldn’t be more different than Sean's native Minneapolis. Moving to rural small town Minnesota, Sean must leave his life of acting classes, going to all-ages shows, and hanging out with friends, to enter into a world of pep rallies, pick-up trucks and country pop. Sean’s inclination for heavy eyeliner, black attire, and surly attitude make him an easy target of suspicion, intrigue, and prejudice in the small town of Eagle Peak. But despite Sean’s growing sense of dread and depression, small town Minnesota also offers a lot of firsts: he becomes the love interest of three classmates of which one is a closeted gay boy afraid of his own sexuality, he is surprised to discover and chant with a Buddhist family in town, and he gets in the middle of an abusive father and his town jock son. Sean’s old life of theater, live music, and diverse friends collides with his new life in Eagle Peak, and Sean is left confused about what he thought he knew about small towns, the world he left behind, and himself..

Hunters by A.M. Burns

Published by Harmony Ink Press

Bigfoot hunters prowl the forests of Cripple Creek, Colorado. That doesn’t sit well with Thom Woodmen—a Bigfoot—albeit the runt of his family. Being the smallest has advantages; Thom, in disguise, gets to attend high school, and he’s not expected to accomplish much in life. All that changes when he comes across a distressed human in the forest. Ben Steele is new to Cripple Creek High School, and after a harrowing experience in the woods near his new home, he quickly falls in with Thom Woodmen and his circle of friends. So what if they like to hang out with nature? Ben’s got nothing better to do. Trouble is, Ben can’t seem to stay out of it—trouble, that is. However, in saving young Ben’s life, Thom inadvertently kick-starts a bonding process that’ll change both their lives forever. With the support of family and friends, Thom learns to accept bonding with the human boy. But with the danger overrunning Cripple Creek lately, Thom may be cut down before he can confess his secret and his love..

If You Really Love Me by Gene Gant

Published by Harmony Ink Press

With time ticking until graduation, Ellis Carter doesn’t have a plan for after high school. Since his best friend Cary dropped out, he has no one to talk to. All he knows is he doesn’t want to continue being a burden to his mother. Adding to his daily torture is the school’s new resident bad boy, Saul Brooks. So to say he’s amazed when the mysterious Saul invites him to the gym for a workout is an understatement. Soon, they go from workout buddies to boyfriends, and Ellis couldn’t be happier. But happiness is fleeting. His mother begins a new relationship he thinks will lead to pain, and Cary makes a decision that could take him out of Ellis’s life for good. Just when he needs to lean on his boyfriend the most, Ellis discovers Saul has a secret that could break them apart..

Outshine the Stars by Nash Summers

Published by Queerteen Press

Justin is hell on legs. He’s a self-proclaimed brat, a manipulator, and has a bit of a flare for the dramatic. While Justin might look like the picture of innocence, he leaves a path of terror wherever he goes. His senior year starts off like all the others, him and his best friend sticking their noses up at everyone else while they bask in their own glory. But when a handsome new student catches Justin’s eye, he recruits the likes of a smart-mouthed kid named Connor to help him in his mission to capture the heart of the attractive newcomer. When Justin is finally forced to face himself and the truth behind his self¬-centered universe, it feels like the sky comes crashing down..

Revolt of the Perfectly Free by Kim Flowers

Published by Queerteen Press

In this steampunk version of American history, slavery was abolished during the American Revolution and Native Americans live in harmony with immigrants of all races. Steam-powered carriages and trains make travel easier, and automaton robots do manual labor such as planting crops. The government uses a mixture of native ways and democracy, with both a chief and a governor ruling over the state of Delaware. Across the ocean in Great Britain, the people live in a near-dystopia, and tyranny and inequality still reign. Amelia Corn is the daughter of the governor of Delaware, and her best friend Two-Spirit is son of the Lenape chief. When a delegate from Great Britain arrives and threatens war unless the U.S. agrees to serve Queen Victoria under colonial rule again, Amelia and Two-Spirit know they must make sure this never happens. Amelia enlists the aid of Nadine, a beautiful slave of the British delegate, who organizes a revolt while the citizens attack the British ships. Two-Spirit’s boyfriend, the warrior Strong Arrow, completes their team and helps take out any traitors or enemies who get in their way. Amelia falls in love with Nadine, whose family is an ocean away; Nadine doesn’t know if she has room in her heart for romance. Two-Spirit becomes both shaman and warrior, which makes Strong Arrow insecure; he faces ridicule from his father because of who he loves. And the biggest threat of all is the might of the entire British Imperial Navy, rumored to be headed to Delaware to set up a stronghold for Queen Victoria to rule. Can Amelia and her friends defeat their enemies or will they be torn apart, victims of a failed attempt at perfect freedom? The stories in this anthology are available as separate e-books. Contains the following stories: Amelia's Revolution, Two-Spirit's Red Road, Nadine's Voyage, and Strong Arrow's Warpath.

Special Effect by Russell J. Sanders

Published by Harmony Ink Press

Graduating senior, theater lighting wunderkind, and closeted gay, Nick Fortunati volunteers with The Streetwise Players in the dark corners of The Laughton, a creepy old movie palace decorated in Grand Guignol style. But his father wishes Nick would use his intellect and his scholarship to become a biotech engineer and earn a prosperous living for his future family. Nick loves his dad and wants to please him, but he dreams of a career in theater. And he wants a male lover. Unfortunately, his homophobic father won’t approve of either. When Nick’s at his loneliest, out of the corners of the theater and into his life comes trouble-laden Steve Stripling, a man with little memory of his past other than his name. Meanwhile, Nick’s introduced to the dashing Wash Vitek and is torn between the two men. His situation is further complicated because he doesn’t know if Wash is gay. Nick resolves to solve the mystery surrounding Steve and help the young man recover his memories, even though by doing so, he risks losing the first love he’s ever found.

A Strange Place In Time: The Merry Executioner Returns by Alyx J. Shaw

Published by Torquere Press (Prizm Division)
The battle has begun, and old friends become new enemies, and allies become traitors. The Court of Hercandoloff realises that the only way to avert true disaster is attack the instigators of the rising darkness, and that will take a great deal of secrecy and deception. As Arrowsmith returns to Earth to persuade a friend to come to Dargoth, the Wizard-King Blackbird finds himself facing foes alone in his own palace, as the army rides north to the Kingdom of Kirianna. With the Master Thief blinded and missing, Blackbird sick and injured, and only a matter of days before one adversary is brought back form the dead, plans have to be made, and quickly. There is no chance of real victory, only of a stalemate, and that is with every member of the Court present. The search for Infamous leads the Court to the dead remains of the holy city of Palaklais, and the Temple of the Creator, but what they find there does not give them hope. The god of madness, SkullDigger, awaits them, as the most powerful of their adversaries, Rhaklan the Damned. The Court is without one of its most important members, and the strongest of their foes have joined forces. The Court has no choice but to fight, after they make plans for their own imminent demise.

The Balance by Neal Wooten

Published by Bold Strokes Books

In a dystopian future, life hangs in the balance. Piri is a nineteen-year-old boy who lives in a technological metropolis that rises above the clouds. But when an accident drops him out of the city, everything changes. At first terrified by the atrocious reality of life on the surface, including surviving gruesome creatures known as Scavs, Piri is soon mesmerized by the bond they have for one another. He also comes to understand his own feelings for Niko, the boy who rescued him. In the end, Piri chooses love over comfort. But things are never as they seem. When he discovers just how far the city dwellers will go to maintain control, and the horrific truth behind an ancient and secret alliance, he will do everything he can to protect his new family—and disrupt the balance.

Tiffany and the Tiger's Eyeby Foxglove Lee

Published by Prizm

How many secrets can a family keep? If there's one thing Rebecca knows, it's how to hide her problems. But with a rock-and-roll dad who drinks too much and a mom who works day and night, Rebecca needs a sympathetic ear. That's why she tells her troubles to Yvette, an antique doll that once belonged to her grandmother. In the summer of 1986, after her father's strange disappearance, Rebecca and her little brother are sent to the cottage with Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip. Rebecca's relieved to get away from the city, and her relief grows to bliss when she meets Tiffany, a water-skiing blonde who dresses like Madonna, makes her own jewelry, and claims to see auras. But strange things happen when Rebecca spends time with Tiffany. Her aunt and uncle are convinced she's acting out -- and she'd have good reason to, considering they obviously know where her father is and won't say -- but she can't convince them she isn't the one trashing her bedroom and setting fires. As crazy as it seems, Yvette must be the culprit. There's nothing more dangerous than a jealous doll that knows all your secrets...

New Releases for March, 2014

Featured New Releases:

Angel by Alex Norris

Published by Creativia

Cambridge University isn't everything Lewis wanted it to be. Still hung up on a lost love affair from the past and surrounded by friends he loves and loathes in equal measure, Lewis' life takes a dramatic turn after a chance encounter with homeless Rosie. Desperately seeking meaning among the vacuous student lifestyle, Lewis embarks on a quest to help those without homes and without voices. Through a string of secret and sordid affairs with strange men he meets online, Lewis tries to raise money for his new homeless friends. Along the way he'll encounter a transvestite with the lips of Brigitte Bardot, a gorgeous French traveler, and a slew of lonely men willing to pay for satisfaction. But as Lewis delves further into the depraved, secret life of Cambridge's backstreets, his faith in humanity and hope for his own future decline rapidly. How low is he willing to sink to make some cash?.

Aun by Tam MacNeil

Published by Queerteen Press

Jao is in a quandary. He can't find work, and he doesn't want to work for Kazematsuri anyway. That doesn't stop the crazy man from sending new recruits to test their skills on Jao. There is also something going on with Jao's upper class boyfriend, Masahiro. Is he really so busy with his opium business that he struggles to find time for their relationship? Or is he getting tired of slumming it with Jao? Then Kazematsuri turns up in person to employ Jao to find out what a new gang, the Anu, is doing in Okatsu. At the same time Fan, the daughter of his friend Akai, disappears and Akai hires Jao to find her. Now Jao has enough money, but he also has several dangerous people to contend with. And he still needs to find out what's really going on with Masahiro.

Demons! Come Out! by Charlie Purcell

Published by Queerteen Press

It sucks to be Charlie, the only gay kid in his small town high school. He’s different, which is never a good thing. His parents don’t understand him, his sister actively hates him, and his best (and only) friend accidentally outs him to the biggest bully in school. Things can’t get any worse ... Until he accidentally opens a doorway to Hell and unleashes a horde of murderous demons. Now he has to defeat each demon before anyone finds out what he did. If he doesn’t kill all of them before the town’s big centennial celebration, then the gate to Hell will open permanently. Suddenly, being gay isn’t that big a deal. He’s much more concerned about staying alive. On his first demon-hunting mission, Charlie saves Todd, one of the popular kids. Pretty soon they team up to track down the remaining demons, and Charlie starts to realize he and Todd might have more in common than he first thought. As young love blossoms, the world inches closer and closer to apocalypse. Charlie’s completely overwhelmed with swordfights, demon possessions, and more near death experiences than he can possibly imagine. His life has never been more different, and that just might help him save the world.

Destined Union by Tina Brescanu

Published by Creativia

Destined Union is a sexy, surprising and witty story about coming out, and of becoming who you are. Tordis is a Swedish sex therapist who comes to Ireland and begins to work in the most progressive hospital in the world, the Royal Hospital Dublin. She thinks she knows who she is, heterosexual and monogamous, because that's what she's been told from birth. When her life experiences take her off the culture lines of both Sweden and Ireland, she is surprised and delighted to finally have the honor of getting to know herself fully.

The Divide: Unity (Book Two) by Kim Flowers

Published by Queerteen press

Sequel to The Divide Book 1: Uprising The revolution has begun, and 18-year-old Malaki Cheyenne is spying on the U.S. government. In the midst of training on a rebel military base, Malaki can't decide whether she wants to be in infantry or intelligence. She is also torn between her feelings for three girls, including Serenity Blackwater, who left on a refugee plane to The Nation of California Islands. Malaki is impatient at being low-ranked, but raises her status by creating a program to deactivate U.S. military drones. The base gets attacked after the government finds out members have allied themselves with the revolutionary Human Equality Organization. Malaki is captured and taken to a detainment center, where the same man who tortured Serenity last year says he's going to convert Malaki from Gay to Normal. Malaki is beaten and starved, and forced to undergo experimental injections which are supposed to change her mind and body so she fits into the mold of what the government says is "normal."

Ghost Songs by Andrew Demcak

Published by Harmony Ink

It’s not easy being Todd Williams, a fourteen-and-a-half-year-old gay musical prodigy. The bullies, Bob and Ari, at his fancy private school make his life a living hell. Todd’s drunken, irresponsible mother, Eddie, constantly embarrasses him and puts his artistic future in jeopardy. And now, his best friend, Jennifer, who plays clarinet with him in the orchestra, isn’t speaking to him. Maybe Leroy, Todd’s friendly poltergeist, knows what’s going on with her. To top it off, he can no longer rely on Jennifer's help in the race to solve a puzzle that could lead to a buried treasure. Todd must learn to stand alone. He’s finding out that growing up is far scarier than he ever imagined.

If We Shadows by D.E. Atwood

Published by Harmony Ink

Born female, all Jordan wants is to slip under the radar and live the last year of high school as a boy. His parents and siblings support him, but he’d rather be recognized for his acting and musical talents than his gender issues. When Shakespeare’s Puck gives him three magical potions—true sight, true seeming, and true love—Jordan discovers being true to himself isn’t as simple as he thought. Jordan must navigate the confusion of first love, a controversial role in the fall musical, and his transgender identity, while fairy magic creates a net of complications over everything he does. In order to unweave the spells laid over his friends—his supportive older brother, James, his playwright friend, Pepper, and Maria, another transgender student—Jordan needs to understand exactly how far he’ll go to reach his goals of finding true love, true sight, and true seeming.

The Red Sun Rises by Victoria Kinnaird

Published by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing

Blurb: "Eren Anderson is a freak among freaks. At 17 years old, he doesn’t fit in with his peers in the tiny town of All Hallows and despite being born into it, he most certainly doesn’t fit in among The Order of Our Mother, the secret nature worshipping society that has harnessed the ability cast spells and believes vampires are not only real, but their deadliest enemies. Eren is turned into a vampire after an attack by the local coven master, but that is the least of his worries... In a post-Twilight world, “The Red Sun Rises” is a YA novel intended to give vampires their bite back but it should not be read as simply another vampire novel. “The Red Sun Rises” is a story about growing up, responsibility, falling in love, facing your fears and taking fate into your own hands."

Strong Arrow's Warpath by Kim Flowers

Published by Queerteen Press

Sequel to Nadine's Voyage Strong Arrow knows a great war is inevitable. In the past few weeks, he and his friends have defeated sinister delegates from Great Britain as well as traitors in the U.S. who want to reinstate colonial rule. Now the British Imperial Navy is on the way to America, and Strong Arrow believes it is his responsibility to lead this final battle. Unless he does something drastic, he won’t have enough status to be with his love, Spirit Warrior, who is both a warrior and a shaman, and son of the chief. He doesn’t always know what he should believe, but he wants a future where he and his friends can live in peace. But if things don’t go well in battle, it may be time for the Lenape to insist on only following their ways from now on. As all eyes keep watch for the Imperial Navy, Strong Arrow, Spirit Warrior, and Nadine help Amelia and her father build an air ship to search for the enemy. Will Strong Arrow be able to defeat their enemies this last time, or will he have to turn his back on the people he once called friends?

Triane's Son Reigning by Amy Lane

Published by Harmony Ink

From the moment Torrant Shadow realized Consort Rath murdered his family, he’s lived a dual identity: a healer and poet by nature, a predator out of necessity. It’s not just exhausting, it’s perilous. In the deadly city of Dueance, Torrant must succeed in both lives, because while the predator may save the Goddess’s folk from Rath’s brutal policies, it is the poet who will sway the minds of the people to revolt against the oppressive government. As his cause falters, Torrant finds his worst nightmares come to pass as the people he loves most—his family from Eiran, his former lovers, and his moon-destined, Yarri—all come to his aid, despite the danger. They must succeed—there is no other option. If they fail, Rath will eliminate joy from the heart of the lands of the three moons, and all that Torrant and his family cherish will be lost. But success could exact a devastating cost, one Triane’s Son was never prepared to pay.

Us Three by Mia Kerick

Published by Harmony Ink

In his junior year at a public high school, sweet, bright Casey Minton’s biggest worry isn’t being gay. Keeping from being too badly bullied by his so-called friends, a group of girls called the Queen Bees, is more pressing. Nate De Marco has no friends, his tough home life having taken its toll on his reputation, but he’s determined to get through high school. Zander Zane’s story is different: he’s popular, a jock. Zander knows he’s gay, but fellow students don’t, and he’d like to keep it that way. No one expects much when these three are grouped together for a class project, yet in the process the boys discover each other’s talents and traits, and a new bond forms. But what if Nate, Zander, and Casey fall in love—each with the other and all three together? Not only gay but also a threesome, for them high school becomes infinitely more complicated and maybe even dangerous. To survive and keep their love alive, they must find their individual strengths and courage and stand together, honest and united. If they can do that, they might prevail against the Queen Bees and a student body frightened into silence—and even against their own crippling fears.

New Releases for February, 2014

Featured New Releases:

Cevin's Deadly Sin by Sally Bosco

Published by Queerteen Press

Cevin’s worst nightmare comes true when he and his mom move to a small Florida town where high fashion is a flannel shirt with the sleeves chopped off, and the only entertainment is the Friday night football games. Cevin wants nothing more than to blend in and get through the year so he can graduate and leave Tilapia forever. When he meets Tessa, an introverted Goth girl, his plans to “not have a life” are forever ruined. She’s friendly to him, and he’s at first suspicious, but her poetic nature draws her to him, and he starts to believe she might be the only one who can accept him for what he is ... if he could just get up the nerve to tell her about his cross-dressing. Cevin, though, has a problem: two of the local bullies have discovered his proclivity for wearing women’s clothing. One of them is Tessa’s brother, who threatens to “out” him if he doesn’t stop seeing his beloved sister. Cevin will do nothing of the kind, and when their bullying escalates, Cevin has to figure out how to survive their viciousness while still seeing Tessa and preserving his own identity -- whatever that is. To add to his problems Cevin has an evangelical mom who thinks he’s doing “that thing the Lord despises” and is determined to set him straight by sending him to gay deprogramming camp. A former biker chick, she found religion after her drunk driving caused a serious motorcycle accident that severed her left hand and killed his sister. A chance meeting with Amy, the school's only outed lesbian, has him joining the rock band Chemical Sandwich that has to get ready for a major competition in just six short weeks. Never mind that Cevin can’t play bass; he’s going to have to learn. When Cevin’s friendship with Tessa develops into something more, he finds someone else who doesn’t fit in and who shares his love of music and poetry as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. But Tessa has secrets, too. Will her friendship lead Cevin to the fulfillment of his dreams, or to his own demise?.

Hat Trick Overtime by Jeff Adams

Published by Queerteen Press

Continuing the adventures of Simon and Alex from the best-selling book, Hat Trick, this free story follows the boys into college. They have settled into their freshman year playing hockey for the University of Michigan. After an outdoor game in Detroit, the two break away from their teammates to enjoy time alone under the magical Christmas lights. .

Lessons on Destroying the World by Gene Gant

Published by Harmony Ink

Micah McGhee has struggled all his life against prejudice and abuse. Forced to drop out of school after the death of his mother, Micah works full time to support himself and his alcoholic father. One night, on his way home from a party, Micah’s hard life ends when he’s beaten to death by a street gang. Three days later, Micah awakens with godlike abilities granted by the alien device that resurrected him. His work helping the downtrodden and performing miracles soon earns him worldwide attention—including the notice of conservative Reverend Vaughn Titus. Micah’s friends, devout Christians Antonio and Monica, along with Reverend Titus, urge Micah to use the power of the artifact to impose Biblical rule on the world. But Micah is all too familiar with how Christian law treats LGBT people, and he opposes the idea. When Antonio, Monica, and Reverend Titus gain access to the device, Micah must risk everything to stop them from forcing their religion onto everyone on earth.

Nadine's Voyage by Kim Flowers

Published by Queerteen Press

Sequel to Two-Spirit's Red Road In this alternate version of history, newly-freed slave Nadine is enjoying yet another night of celebration after successfully defeating the British delegate Sir Pickett, his traitorous brother, and low spies plotting to overthrow the budding American government. But now Nadine hears rumors that Queen Victoria herself is on the way to America to set up a new reign. Nadine isn’t as worried about this news as she is about the rest of her family. Before being forced to join Sir Pickett on a voyage to America, she and her family had planned to stow away on the Lady Dervish, but instead of a successful escape, now only half her family is in the New World. Her mother and younger brother were left behind. Nadine’s new friends Spirit Warrior and Strong Arrow along with her girlfriend Amelia travel with her on a steam engine to New York. There they rent a fishing boat in hopes of intercepting the Lady Dervish, because a blockade has been set up to keep all foreign vessels from American waters. Amelia vows to help Nadine reunite her family no matter what, and longs for them to have a future together. But Nadine has a block upon her heart that won't be lifted until she finds the rest of her family. Will she be reunited with them? And will she be able to love someone who so resembles those who once persecuted her?

Onsen by Tam MacNeil

Published by Queerteen Press

Hyabusa Jao needs a holiday. It’s winter, he’s tired, and his ribs are busted from his last job with the Good Men assassins. Jao’s boyfriend Hitori Masahiro wants to get out of Okatsu, as well, to rid himself of his opium dependency. Since money isn't an object with Masahiro, he can afford to book them into the exclusive Okina Kibou Onsen, a warm water spa in the mountains. Unfortunately Jao has been there before, for a job, and the place carries bad memories. But he can't tell Masahiro that, so they set off with family, friends, and servants in tow. When they arrive, the problems begin. First Jao runs into his least favorite person in the world, his ex-boss Kazematsuri. Then he thinks he sees the ghost of the man he killed at the onsen, and Masahiro becomes ill from opium withdrawal. Also, the two sons of the Daimyo of Okatsu, Kazuya and Daijiro, are there to hunt, or so they say. Jao tries to stay out of their way, but the two VIPs are disturbingly interested in both Jao and Masahiro, for different reasons. Then Kazuya, the younger and slightly nicer of the two brothers, is discovered torn almost to shreds by something big and catlike, an animal the like of which does not occur in the wilds around the onsen. While Kazuya is recovering, Jao is determined to find out what beast is sneaking around at night ... and keep it from killing anyone else.

The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick

Published by Harmony Ink

One October morning, high school junior Bryan Dennison wakes up a different person—helpful, generous, and chivalrous—a person whose new admirable qualities he doesn’t recognize. Stranger still is the urge to tie a red sheet around his neck like a cape. Bryan soon realizes this compulsion to wear a red cape is accompanied by more unusual behavior. He can’t hold back from retrieving kittens from tall trees, helping little old ladies cross busy streets, and defending innocence anywhere he finds it. Shockingly, at school, he realizes he used to be a bully. He’s attracted to the former victim of his bullying, Scott Beckett, though he has no memory of Scott from before “the change.” Where he’d been lazy in academics, overly aggressive in sports, and socially insecure, he’s a new person. And although he can recall behaving egotistically, he cannot remember his motivations. Everyone, from his mother to his teachers to his “superjock” former pals, is shocked by his dramatic transformation. However, Scott Beckett is not impressed by Bryan’s newfound virtue. And convincing Scott he’s genuinely changed and improved, hopefully gaining Scott’s trust and maybe even his love, becomes Bryan’s obsession.

Unity (The Divide: Book Two) by Kim Flowers

Published by Queerteen Press

Sequel to The Divide Book 1: Uprising The revolution has begun, and 18-year-old Malaki Cheyenne is spying on the U.S. government. In the midst of training on a rebel military base, Malaki can’t decide whether she wants to be in infantry or intelligence. She is also torn between her feelings for three girls, including Serenity Blackwater, who left on a refugee plane to The Nation of California Islands. Malaki is impatient at being low-ranked, but raises her status by creating a program to deactivate U.S. military drones. The base gets attacked after the government finds out members have allied themselves with the revolutionary Human Equality Organization. Malaki is captured and taken to a detainment center, where the same man who tortured Serenity last year says he’s going to convert Malaki from Gay to Normal. Malaki is beaten and starved, and forced to undergo experimental injections which are supposed to change her mind and body so she fits into the mold of what the government says is “normal.” The rebels who survived the raid at the military base are imprisoned in the crumbling remains of an old Gay Community, living under the watch of guards with no means of contacting the outside world. Meanwhile, Serenity and the other California refugees are under nuclear assault, waiting out the attack in underground bunkers. Malaki learns secrets about government which will end The Divide, if only she can get out of prison ... and if she doesn’t go insane from brutal torture. Will Malaki be able to free herself from her captors? Will any of her friends survive this war?

Valhalla by Ari Bach

Published by Harmony Ink

Violet MacRae is one of the aimless millions crowding northern Scotland. In the year 2330, where war is obsolete and only brilliant minds are valued, she emerges into adulthood with more brawn than brains and a propensity for violence. People dismiss her as a relic, but world peace is more fragile than they know. In Valhalla, a clandestine base hidden in an icy ravine, Violet connects with a group of outcasts just like her. There, she learns the skills she needs to keep the world safe from genetically enhanced criminals and traitors who threaten the first friends she’s ever known. She also meets Wulfgar Kray, a genius gang leader who knows her better than she knows herself and who would conquer the world to capture her. Branded from childhood as a useless barbarian, Violet is about to learn the world needs her exactly as she is.

New Releases for January 2014

Featured New Releases:

Cold Moon by M.J. O'Shea

Published by Harmony Ink

2nd Edition Insolita Luna: Book Three Sequel to Hunter's Moon
Charlie Fitzgerald is sick of being the kid nobody takes seriously. His older brother Colin is fighting vampires and other troublemakers in New York City, and Charlie wants in on the action—but no one will listen. Then he overhears the lycan council is looking for a human emissary to take a message of peace to a werewolf in the forests of Romania, and Charlie decides he's the man for the job. Xan is furious: his best friend, Charlie, one of the Fitzgeralds he's vowed to protect, is walking into danger, and Xan chases him all the way to the freezing Romanian forest to save his stubborn butt. When Charlie is almost killed, Xan realizes he feels much more than friendship for his charge, and emotions that have been bubbling under the surface of his calm façade threaten to boil over and flood them both.

Dear God by John Goode

Published by Harmony Ink

A Lost Chapter from End of the Innocence

Confronted by prejudice and looking for a way to fight those using religion against his friend, Kyle Stilleno goes to a local church in search of understanding. His inquiry leads him to surprising conclusions and forces him to reexamine his own beliefs. In this lost chapter from End of the Innocence, the enemy may not be where Kyle expects to find it..

Freeing Stella: Being True by Zoe Lynne

Published by Harmony Ink

Stella Marshall feels invisible to everyone but her sister Jessica and best friend Jenna. Thanks to their Friday night LGBTQ youth group meetings, she can be true to herself and cast aside the boy she was born as, Steven. The rest of the time, she locks herself away, because if her super conservative, Christian parents ever found out…. When her little sister admits to liking a girl as more than a friend, it becomes ten times harder for Stella to keep up the charade. She wants to stand by Jess and take some of the heat away, and that means coming out of the closet—even if it costs Stella her family and the girl of her dreams, Lillian Nelson. Unfortunately, it’s too frightening to give up the security of hiding behind Steven. But Stella knows she has to be brave, for herself and her sister..

Heavyweight by MB Mulhall

Published by Harmony Ink

Secrets. Their weight can be crushing, but their release can change everything—and not necessarily for the better. Ian is no stranger to secrets. Being a gay teen in a backwater southern town, Ian must keep his orientation under wraps, especially since he spends a lot of time with his hands all over members of the same sex, pinning their sweaty, hard bodies to the wrestling mat. When he’s trying not to stare at teammates in the locker room, he’s busy hiding another secret—that he starves himself so he doesn’t get bumped to the next weight class. Enter Julian Yang, an Adonis with mesmerizing looks and punk rocker style. Befriending the flirtatious artist not only raises suspicion among his classmates, but leaves Ian terrified he’ll give in to the desires he’s fought to ignore. As secrets come to light, Ian’s world crumbles. Disowned, de-friended, and deserted by nearly everyone, Ian’s one-way ticket out of town is revoked, leaving him trapped in a world he hates—and one that hates him back..

Masks: Rise of Heroesby Hayden Thorne

Published by Queerteen Press

Strange things are happening in Vintage City, and sixteen-year-old Eric seems to be right in the middle of them. There’s a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he’s wreaking havoc everywhere and on Eric’s life. The new superhero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that’s right under his nose. Peter is Eric’s best friend, and even if he does seem to be hiding something most of the time, he finds a way to show Eric how he feels in between attacks on trains, banks, and malls. The two boys decide to start dating, much to the chagrin of their other best buddy, Althea, who has a terrible crush on Peter and a secret or two of her own to keep. As the fight between the Devil’s Trill and Magnifiman picks up, Eric’s relationship with Peter almost ends before it begins when Eric finds out about Peter’s special talents, which might just rank Peter as a superhero in his own right. When the Trill takes an interest in Eric, Peter and Althea, along with Magnifiman and Eric’s normal, middle-class family, all have to work together to keep Eric and their city safe..

Triane's Son Fighting by Amy Lane

Published by Harmony Ink

Outraged by the destruction of innocent lives and the threat to his family’s safety, Torrant Shadow and Aylan Stealth-Moon ride to Dueance, the capital of Clough, with a desperate plan: Torrant will impersonate Yarri’s dead brother, Ellyot Moon, and infiltrate the Regent’s council to help change to the government’s policy toward the Goddess’s chosen from the inside. But from the very first night, Torrant and Aylan are pressed into service in the shadows of the ghettoes, fighting for the lives of the brutalized people within. It’s a bitter job, made more so by close scrutiny and mockery from Consort Rath, the ruler whose policies have created the discrimination and cruelty wreaking havoc in their country. Torrant’s only bright moments come from Aylan, whose love and loyalty never falter, and the hungry, compassionate minds of the younger regents. Believing that all they need is a worthy song to follow, Torrant sets about leading them to accomplish the salvation of their country. But not even Torrant can be everywhere at once. When faced with one disaster too many, he realizes one man alone cannot right the wrongs of an entire government—not even Triane’s Son. First Edition published as Bitter Moon II: Triane’s Son Reigning by iUniverse, 2009.

The Other Me by Suzanne van Rooyen

Published by Harmony Ink
Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she's an alien. She doesn’t fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he’s perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn't find out she's a freak. As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body. But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel’s baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.

Pukawiss: The Outcast by Jay Jordan Hawke

Published by Harmony Ink

When family complications take Joshua away from his fundamentalist Christian mother and leave him with his grandfather, he finds himself immersed in a mysterious and magical world. Joshua’s grandfather is a Wisconsin Ojibwe Indian who, along with an array of quirky characters, runs a recreated sixteenth-century village for the tourists who visit the reservation. Joshua’s mother kept him from his Ojibwe heritage, so living on the reservation is liberating for him. The more he learns about Ojibwe traditions, the more he feels at home. One Ojibwe legend in particular captivates him. Pukawiss was a powerful manitou known for introducing dance to his people, and his nontraditional lifestyle inspires Joshua to embrace both his burgeoning sexuality and his status as an outcast. Ultimately, Joshua summons the courage necessary to reject his strict upbringing and to accept the mysterious path set before him..

An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale

Published by Musa Publishing

Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves. Things at home are rough for fifteen-year-old Livvie Quinn. Jules, her beloved older sister is sick again after being cancer free for almost ten years. Her mom becomes more frantic and unapproachable every day. School isn’t much better. Just when she needs them most, her closest friends get boyfriends and have little time for Livvie – except to set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates. Livvie seeks refuge in the art room and finds Bianca, the school ‘freak’. Free-spirited and confident, Bianca is everything Livvie isn’t. Shaken by her mom’s desperation, her sister’s deteriorating condition, and abandoned by her friends, Livvie finds comfort and an attraction she never felt before with Bianca. When their relationship is discovered, Livvie and Bianca become victims of persecution and bullying. School authorities won’t help and even forbid the pair to attend the Winter Formal as a couple. If Livvie defies them and goes, she risks expulsion and further ridicule from her classmates. At home, her mother’s behavior escalates to new levels of crazy and Jules is begging for help to end the pain once and for all. While searching for the strength to make her life her own, Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves..

Caught In the Crossfireby Juliann Rich

Published by Boldstrokes Publishing

Minnesota writer Juliann Rich spent her childhood in search of the perfect climbing tree. The taller the better! A branch thirty feet off the ground was a good perch for a young girl to find herself. Seeking truth in nature and finding a unique point of view remain crucial elements in her life as well as her writing. Juliann is a PFLAG mom who can be found walking Pride parades with her son. She is also the daughter of evangelical Christian parents. As such she has been caught in the crossfire of the most heated topic to challenge our society and our churches today. She is committed to writing stories that shed light on the conflicts that arise when sexual orientation, spirituality, family dynamics and peer relationships collide. Juliann lives with her husband and their two chronically disobedient dachshunds in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley.