Friday's here! Which means I get to read to you! This week. the lovely Ro Merrill has sent me an excerpt for her new release,  You Can Do Magic: Carnival of Mysteries. A bit of time travel and rock stars with your romance? But of course :D Come have a listen:

You Can Do Magic
Carnival of Mysteries
(Summer of Hush 3)
by R. L. Merrill

​Amazon

From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.

Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.
 
Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.
 
An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But the music business makes personal relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.
 
You Can Do Magic 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 Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+
 
Warnings: Mention of prior sexual abuse, off-page, no descriptions
 
​

About R. L. :

Whether she’s writing swoon-worthy contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…
 
Author Website: https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/rochellerlmerrill/
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828914.R_L_Merrill
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/r-l-merrill/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.L.-Merrill/author/B00PI6Q1LI
​

Happy Friday! This week I have a fun one for you - stories from the annual Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction contest! 300 words, speculative fiction with queer characters, on the theme, Rise. The anthology of chosen stories comes out October 25, but I get to read you a selection early! :D Come have a listen:

Rise
The ninth annual Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction anthology

Coming in ebook and paperback October 25!

Happy Friday, everyone! This week is our last installment of our Elevator anthology series of readings! I'm reading excerpts from three paranormal offerings from the anthology - stories from Pandora Pine, BL Maxwell and Eden Winters. :D Come have a listen:

Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator
A Charity Anthology
by Miski Harris, et al

​Amazon

Do you like mechanical devices with personality? Sure, who doesn’t? How about when they hold your life in the palm of their hands? Hmm…less sure now, yes? Don’t worry, you’re gonna love this.

At an LGBTQ literary retreat in October of 2022, a group of authors met a particularly cantankerous elevator. Doors slamming open or closed for no apparent reason? Check. Scary noises, also for no apparent reason? Also, check. Were we concerned for our lives? Okay, listen…
This cranky elevator figured heavily into conversations for the next few days, many of which included expletives in a dozen languages, but eventually, it became a (somewhat) beloved mascot. Some people actually chose it over the other elevators!
The resulting mayhem is over twenty-five different author takes on the underlying story behind the elevator’s peculiar behavior. Possession? Poltergeists? Personified mechanical objects? Vampires?
All these unique stories come together in one volume: Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator. Join us as we attempt to explain the unexplainable, rationalize the unrationalizable, and give imagination free rein.
Proceeds for the sale of this book benefit The Trevor Project, which provides crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. More information can be found about this worthy cause at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Friday's here! Summer is almost over! (small cheer for us heat intolerant folks) This week, I'm reading to you from Transform the World, an anthology edited by our good friend, J. Scott Coatsworth who gathered SF authors together to write hopeful stories about the future. Come have a listen!

Transform the World
J. Scott Coatsworth, et al

Amazon

Fourteen Ways to Change the Planet

Income inequality is worse than it was in the Roaring Twenties. Corporations are moving fast and breaking things, and the social contract seems to be falling apart, aided by social media disruption and division on steroids.

There has to be a better way.

We asked fourteen sci-fi writers to come up with innovative ways the world could work better. Universal basic income, smaller communities, AI voting, and learning to live in harmony with nature are just a few of the ideas explored inside these pages. So buckle up and settle in for a look at the world of the future.

The world’s not going to transform itself.

It's Friday - yaaay! And time for me to read to you. This week, I have an excerpt from Holly Day's new paranormal, Panther's Luck! Shifters, vampires, and one very, very out of place human :D Come have a listen:

Panther's Luck
by Holly Day

JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/holly-day-c-224_485/panthers-luck-p-4779.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Panthers-Luck-Holly-Day-ebook/dp/B0CBYKC9S4/
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/PanthersLuck

Humans off the paved road are nothing but shifter food.

Romeo Gallo has to flee town. The problem is that the only place he can think of going is an old ranch he's inherited from his uncle, and it's off the paved road. Humans are fair game if they're off the paved road, and being eaten by shifters has never been on the list of things Romeo wants to experience.

Ciar Moonlight is a panther shifter, perfectly happy living a laidback life on the ranch. He wants nothing to do with humans. But one night, one moves into the house, and Ciar finds it hard to stay away.

Romeo soon learns he isn't the only one living on the ranch. Shifters and vampires keep popping up, and since no one has eaten him yet, he'd go as far as to call a few of them his friends. And there is a panther reluctant to leave his bedroom, so maybe one is even more than a friend. Ciar might not have wanted to get to know a human, but now when Romeo is living in his territory, he's Ciar's to keep, right? So if someone tries to get rid of Romeo, it's Ciar's right to defend him. Right​?

About Holly:

According to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.

Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.
                               
Connect with Holly on social media:                                       
Website :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest :: BookBub :: Goodreads :: Newsletter :: TikTok

Hello, everyone! And welcome to the second installment of our series of excerpts from the Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator anthology! Up for pre-order now, this is a charity anthology of short stories by a collection of 29 authors :D This week, I'm reading to you from Beck Grey, J.K. Hogan and CJ Warrant's stories. Come have a listen:

Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator
A Charity Anthology

​Amazon

​Do you like mechanical devices with personality? Sure, who doesn’t? How about when they hold your life in the palm of their hands? Hmm…less sure now, yes? Don’t worry, you’re gonna love this.

At an LGBTQ literary retreat in October of 2022, a group of authors met a particularly cantankerous elevator. Doors slamming open or closed for no apparent reason? Check. Scary noises, also for no apparent reason? Also, check. Were we concerned for our lives? Okay, listen…
This cranky elevator figured heavily into conversations for the next few days, many of which included expletives in a dozen languages, but eventually, it became a (somewhat) beloved mascot. Some people actually chose it over the other elevators!
The resulting mayhem is over twenty-five different author takes on the underlying story behind the elevator’s peculiar behavior. Possession? Poltergeists? Personified mechanical objects? Vampires?
All these unique stories come together in one volume: Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator. Join us as we attempt to explain the unexplainable, rationalize the unrationalizable, and give imagination free rein.
Proceeds for the sale of this book benefit The Trevor Project, which provides crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. More information can be found about this worthy cause at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/​

Happy Friday, everyone! This week we have magic, fantasy and baby dragons! I'm reading to you from M.D. Grimm's new Stones of Power novel, Jade: First and Last. Come have a listen:

Jade: First and Last
The Stones of Power #9
by M.D. Grimm

Universal Buy Link

Morgorth and Aishe must contend with a deadly threat that could spell disaster for their world.
Payshthas were the first of the Mother’s intelligent children. It is rare for true friendship to form between them and another species—which makes Morgorth’s bond with Enfernlo unique. And it is due to their friendship that Morgorth doesn’t hesitate to answer Enfernlo’s plea for help.
 
A thief has stolen something vital from Enfernlo’s colony—a stone of power.
 
Their hunt for the stone leads them to a war torn kingdom, and Aishe can hardly stomach what he sees. The devastation urges him to assist however he can, no matter the risk. Meanwhile, Morgorth is faced with reminders of the monster he used to be, and contemplates how far he’s come, and yet how far he still has to go. And when his estranged mentor joins them on their search, Morgorth is forced to confront his resentment and sense of betrayal, and use Master Ulezander as a tool to save the payshthas.
 
Forced into a deadly quest where trust is in short supply, and faced with challengers for the stone, Morgorth must put his faith in those he loves and in himself... and become a champion not just of the Mother but for Karishian itself.
 
Warnings: magic violence, dragon violence, war-torn country
​

About M.D. :

M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!).
 
After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English, (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?) she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain, (or else what’s the point?) finding their soul mate in the process.
 
Author Website: https://www.mdgrimmwrites.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001710645622
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4574220.M_D_Grimm
Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/
Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.D.-Grimm/e/B00I0KZMY6/

Hello, hello, everyone! Time for our Friday Reading Day, and this week, I get to read to you from CC Bridges new contemporary romance, Better Latte Than Never! I do like a coffee shop story :D Come have a listen:

Better Latte Than Never
by CC Bridges

Books2Read

Finn's love stories always end in death.
 
He's made millions writing as author Morgan Heart and his fans can't get enough of his tragic love stories. But a bad breakup results in a killer case of writer's block, and Finn needs to try something drastic to fix it, like. . .going to a coffee shop to write. There's got to be a reason it's a cliche, and in his world, cliches sell.
 
He shouldn't be flirting with the hot, younger barista. He shouldn't be using said beautiful barista as another character to kill off in his new book. And he sure as hell shouldn't be getting his heart involved, especially since he's still keeping his real identity secret.
 
Working at his aunt's coffee shop is a temporary thing. . . that's been going on for eight years now. One day soon Enzo is finally going to make it big with his art and move on. But when Finn walks into the cafe - confident, mature, put together, everything Enzo is not - he can't help developing a huge crush, even if Finn is a customer.
 
As their relationship deepens, Finn's deceptions and Enzo's insecurities threaten to undermine everything they are starting to build together. If they can each confront their inner demons, then Finn might be writing a happy ending for the first time in his life.
 
Better Latte Than Never is an m/m age gap, coffee shop romance featuring a slow burn attraction that grows steamier than an espresso machine.
 
Warnings: Mention of partner betrayal, death of character's parents in the past
​

About CC:

CC Bridges spent her childhood visiting other worlds in books, comics, and the starship Enterprise. It's no surprise that she ended up a librarian, being surrounded by the books she loves so much. She writes about amazing worlds with honorable heroes. Her hobbies include paying money to get locked in a room for an hour so she can solve puzzles to escape, along with the aforementioned reading. She lives with her husband and son on the Jersey Shore. She is currently pursuing an MFA from Southern New Hampshire University
 
Author Website: https://www.ccbridges.net
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/ccbridgeswriter
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/ccbridges10
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccbridgesauthor/
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2780312.C_C_Bridges
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/cc-bridges/
​

Happy Friday, everyone! This week, I'm reading to you from KC Burns new paranormal romance, West on Grainger! A bit of spooky in July :D I neglected to mention in the recording that this is the second book in the Sandy Bottom Bay series (the most haunted town in Florida), though you can read them on their own. Come have a listen!

West on Grainger
Sandy Bottom Bay #2
by KC Burn

Is Sandy Bottom Bay truly full of ghosts?
 
Wendell Weston is in a slump. Paranormal stories are his life. His income. His sole focus for as long as he can remember, not that he actually believes any of it is real. His obsession has complicated his love life, but for the most part, he hasn’t minded. But now his muse has gone quiet. In search of inspiration, he flies across the country to the purportedly haunted bed and breakfast, just before Haunt Fest. Soured on romance by the cynicism and superficiality of the Hollywood actors he works with, he’s not expecting a chance encounter with an attractive man to go anywhere.
 
But Kyle Grainger isn’t just a pretty face. He also hosts local ghost walks. The closest thing to an expert Wendell has encountered, and with any luck, Kyle will lead him to a spectral encounter. Before long, Wendell realizes he wants to follow Kyle anywhere, ghost or not. As a true skeptic, Wendell doesn’t believe he’ll see a ghost for real, but he’s going to have fun trying. Especially with Kyle. One of the many local legends will surely trigger his muse, but in the meantime, getting to know a sweet, mesmerizing man would make the trip worthwhile.
 
Wouldn’t it be amazing to encounter a ghost?
 
That’s what Kyle thinks every time he hosts another ghost walk in Sandy Bottom Bay. Not once in hundreds of tours has he seen one, but he remains hopeful. Kyle hasn’t had a lot of amazing in his life. After an injury in college, he had to pivot on his life’s dream. He’s content, more or less, professionally. His romantic dry spell, on the other hand, could turn the Everglades into the Sahara. Wendell is an unexpected pleasure, one Kyle hopes is more than a Haunt Fest hookup.
 
What if the ghost isn’t harmless?
 
After one of the other guests at the local bed and breakfast dies suddenly, Wendell and Kyle experience a number of odd occurrences that suggest Kyle might be more sensitive to spirits than either of them imagined. If Wendell can’t shake his skepticism about the paranormal, Kyle’s sanity and even his life could be the price they pay.
 
Warnings: self harm (appears off page), references to murder

About KC:

KC Burn is a Canadian transplanted to Florida who writes happy-ever-afters about men loving men, whether they’re psychics, space travelers, aliens, professors, construction workers, cops, amateur sleuths… you name it, she’ll probably write it. She’s got a pair of black cats, aka muses/nuisances, and a supportive, understanding hubby.
 
Author Website: https://kcburn.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/authorkcburn
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/kcburn
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkcburn/
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/kcburn
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/kc-burn/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/K.C.-Burn/author/B0051QXRCQ
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Hi all! Happy Friday and time to read to you! This week, I'm reading a short story from Jeff Baker, "Billy Gonzalez and The Day of the Dead". Lighthearted horror? Absolutely! 

Originally published on: RoM/Mantic Reads