Another two years' worth of stories on power differences (2010-2012)
Here's a list of the new stories I've posted online or published as e-books in the past two years - mainly gay, though some of the stories include heterosexual content (I've marked those as heterosexual) or are about friendship (I've marked those as "general"). They're works of fantasy, historical fantasy, and contemporary fiction which feature:
* gods, priests, and mortals
* rulers and subjects
* lords and liegemen/liegewomen
* mentors and proteges
* masters, servants, and slaves
* dominants and submissives
* torturers, guards, and prisoners
* soldiers and spies
* college students
Not all at once, of course. :)
All of the stories feature love or respect, though sometimes it takes a while to get there. I've included the ratings, so that you can tell which stories have mature content. I also have a bunch of older stories that I haven't listed here. To see them all, you can visit my home page or simply click on the links to the series pages below. If you want to, you can Friend my blog or sign up for my updates e-mail list.
THE ETERNAL DUNGEON
In a cool, dark cavern, guarded by men and by oaths, lies a dungeon in which prisoners fearfully await the inevitable. The inevitable will be replaced by the unexpected.
The Eternal Dungeon is an award-winning historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips.
++++ Characters: torturers, guards, prisoners, dominant/submissive, mentor/protege, multiethnic.
Bonds. A prisoner meeting his fate. A torturer meeting his demons. And between them, a man whose bonds are on the point of shattering.
As the head torturer of the Eternal Dungeon sets out to terrify his subordinates in a horrific manner, his junior guard seeks a way to rebel against orders. But deep within the drama lies another man, and the fate of the dungeon may be determined by whether that other man steps forward.
¶ E-book. Novella. R. Gay and general.
In the past, he would gladly have accepted the death sentence for his crimes - indeed, he had pled for it then, in the name of justice. But now he had another person in his life to consider.
Green Ruin. Three guards and a mysterious substance provide a temptation too great to be missed . . . especially when two torturers add their skills to the mix. Soon three very different men - a married man who is committed to respect and honor, a bachelor harboring secret desires, and a soldier with an unfulfilled ambition - will find themselves caught in a trap. Their rescue will come from an unexpected quarter.
¶ E-book. Short story. PG-13. General, heterosexual, and gay.
During the dawn hours at the Eternal Dungeon, as the day shift yawned itself awake and the night shift yawned itself to bed, the talk turned, as it always did, to the injustices of being a guard.
Wax. The Record-keeper of the Eternal Dungeon has always prided himself on his skills in procuring any object needed by his employers. But when the head torturer makes a seemingly innocent request for wax, the Record-keeper goes in search of a very special supply.
¶ E-book and online fiction. Short story. R for subject matter. General and gay.
All in all, he held a satisfactory position, one where his talents were properly appreciated. But the Record-keeper, rubbing his bleary eyes as he began his shift, could not help but wish that his employer had chosen a love-mate who was less loud.
Broken. What would happen if a technophobic torturer was plunged into the twenty-first century?
¶ E-book and online fiction. Flash fiction. G. Gay (implied).
Layle put his fingers over his eyes. Mercy help him. Let it not be about the computer.
Torture. The High Seeker of the Eternal Dungeon visits a foreign prison.
¶ Online fiction. Short story. PG-13. General, with mentions of gay. Crossover with the Life Prison series.
"Oh," said the representative. "Well. If he turns violent, I suppose you can take care of him yourself. I mean, if the stories about you are true ..."
Hunger. Some hungers can only be satisfied by reaching out. As a prisoner struggles to find the right path, a foul-mouthed guard and an uncommon torturer will open a door . . . but stepping through a doorway with blackness beyond requires courage.
A 2012 holiday gift story for my readers.
¶ Online fiction and e-book. Short story. PG. General.
He wondered how he could convey to the guard, who lived in a world of clear-cut categories of black and white and good and evil, what it was like to live in a world of isolation and chaos, where a simple mistake could turn into a nightmare of pain and regret.
COMMANDO
The nautical nation is backed by the military might of an empire. The mountainous republic is populated by farmers and shopkeepers, and it has no standing army. The nautical nation is about to make the mistake of attacking the mountainous republic.
Commando is a historical fantasy series that imagines what the South African Boer War could have been like if it had been fought on American soil.
++++ Characters: soldiers, masters, servants.
Spy Hill. On a hot summer's day, on a high hill surrounded by the enemy, the best battle-companion can turn out to be the truth.
Rook and Fairview have worked alongside each other for years, first as officers in the navy, then as officers on a steampship, and finally as colonels in an invading army. Members of a nation where tiny differences in rank are considered all-important, the two men defy convention by treating each other as equals.
But now their life-long bond is about to meet its greatest strain, when they are ordered to seize and defend a hill whose landscape is unknown, in the company of soldiers who may be incompetent or treacherous. Will Rook and Fairview's friendship remain by the end of the battle? Or will their lives take an unexpected detour as they struggle to survive on Spy Hill?
¶ E-book. Novella. R for wartime violence. Gay and general.
Fairview was the finest friend a man could have, and the finest battle-companion. I dared not risk doing anything that might break our friendship.
THREE LANDS
He vowed himself to his god. Now the god is growing impatient . . .
The Three Lands is a fantasy series on friendship, romance, and betrayal in times of war and peace.
++++ Characters: rulers, subjects, lords, liegemen/liegewomen, gods, priests, mortals, soldiers, spies, slaves, servants, mentors, proteges, multiracial.
Law Links. Few events are more thrilling in a young man's life than a blood feud between two villages. Or so Adrian thought.
Torn between affection toward his traditional-minded father and worship of his peace-loving, heretical priest, Adrian finds himself caught between two incompatible visions of his duty to the gods. Then the Jackal God sends Adrian a message that will disrupt his life and send him fleeing from a danger he knows too well.
¶ E-book. Novel. PG-13 for violence. General.
Sometimes I feel that he is as mysterious as the gods, and that he is hiding something of vital importance from me. Something that would transform my life.
Law of Vengeance. For over twenty years, Lord Carle has told the heir to the Emorian throne that vengeance is only the other side of mercy, and that disobedience and treachery should never be forgiven. Finally it seems that his message has been received. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that Carle should have chosen this moment to break the law.
As war threatens and the foundations of his life crumble, his only hope for rescue lies with a man who has every reason to hate Carle.
¶ E-book. Novel. PG-13. General and heterosexual.
For many years, I have wished to make a memoir of my life to pass on to future generations of Emorians who desire to learn what it means to have complete dedication to the Chara and his law. This is not to be the memoir I intended, but I find the time passing slowly here in the Chara's dungeon . . .
LOREN'S LASHES
A retro gay series set in the Midwest.
++++ Characters: college students.
Plus Love. Everyone calls her a fag hag. But Gay Pride Day has arrived, and her best friend is about to give her a new name.
There's nothing more embarrassing than feeling up a guy on a date, only to discover that he's gay. But when Zephyra realizes that her fellow college student has his own feelings of shame to overcome, she forges a friendship with him, only to watch as he blooms and grows in his new-found freedom.
Then another young man arrives in the big city, and Zephyra finds herself torn between an old bond and a new one. Now she must seek the strength to offer love to two very different men, who both need her.
¶ Online fiction. Short story. PG-13. General and gay.
"Tell me you're gay!" He nearly knocked her to the floor as he scrambled over her. "Please tell me you're gay!"
* gods, priests, and mortals
* rulers and subjects
* lords and liegemen/liegewomen
* mentors and proteges
* masters, servants, and slaves
* dominants and submissives
* torturers, guards, and prisoners
* soldiers and spies
* college students
Not all at once, of course. :)
All of the stories feature love or respect, though sometimes it takes a while to get there. I've included the ratings, so that you can tell which stories have mature content. I also have a bunch of older stories that I haven't listed here. To see them all, you can visit my home page or simply click on the links to the series pages below. If you want to, you can Friend my blog or sign up for my updates e-mail list.
THE ETERNAL DUNGEON
In a cool, dark cavern, guarded by men and by oaths, lies a dungeon in which prisoners fearfully await the inevitable. The inevitable will be replaced by the unexpected.
The Eternal Dungeon is an award-winning historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips.
++++ Characters: torturers, guards, prisoners, dominant/submissive, mentor/protege, multiethnic.
Bonds. A prisoner meeting his fate. A torturer meeting his demons. And between them, a man whose bonds are on the point of shattering.
As the head torturer of the Eternal Dungeon sets out to terrify his subordinates in a horrific manner, his junior guard seeks a way to rebel against orders. But deep within the drama lies another man, and the fate of the dungeon may be determined by whether that other man steps forward.
¶ E-book. Novella. R. Gay and general.
In the past, he would gladly have accepted the death sentence for his crimes - indeed, he had pled for it then, in the name of justice. But now he had another person in his life to consider.
Green Ruin. Three guards and a mysterious substance provide a temptation too great to be missed . . . especially when two torturers add their skills to the mix. Soon three very different men - a married man who is committed to respect and honor, a bachelor harboring secret desires, and a soldier with an unfulfilled ambition - will find themselves caught in a trap. Their rescue will come from an unexpected quarter.
¶ E-book. Short story. PG-13. General, heterosexual, and gay.
During the dawn hours at the Eternal Dungeon, as the day shift yawned itself awake and the night shift yawned itself to bed, the talk turned, as it always did, to the injustices of being a guard.
Wax. The Record-keeper of the Eternal Dungeon has always prided himself on his skills in procuring any object needed by his employers. But when the head torturer makes a seemingly innocent request for wax, the Record-keeper goes in search of a very special supply.
¶ E-book and online fiction. Short story. R for subject matter. General and gay.
All in all, he held a satisfactory position, one where his talents were properly appreciated. But the Record-keeper, rubbing his bleary eyes as he began his shift, could not help but wish that his employer had chosen a love-mate who was less loud.
Broken. What would happen if a technophobic torturer was plunged into the twenty-first century?
¶ E-book and online fiction. Flash fiction. G. Gay (implied).
Layle put his fingers over his eyes. Mercy help him. Let it not be about the computer.
Torture. The High Seeker of the Eternal Dungeon visits a foreign prison.
¶ Online fiction. Short story. PG-13. General, with mentions of gay. Crossover with the Life Prison series.
"Oh," said the representative. "Well. If he turns violent, I suppose you can take care of him yourself. I mean, if the stories about you are true ..."
Hunger. Some hungers can only be satisfied by reaching out. As a prisoner struggles to find the right path, a foul-mouthed guard and an uncommon torturer will open a door . . . but stepping through a doorway with blackness beyond requires courage.
A 2012 holiday gift story for my readers.
¶ Online fiction and e-book. Short story. PG. General.
He wondered how he could convey to the guard, who lived in a world of clear-cut categories of black and white and good and evil, what it was like to live in a world of isolation and chaos, where a simple mistake could turn into a nightmare of pain and regret.
COMMANDO
The nautical nation is backed by the military might of an empire. The mountainous republic is populated by farmers and shopkeepers, and it has no standing army. The nautical nation is about to make the mistake of attacking the mountainous republic.
Commando is a historical fantasy series that imagines what the South African Boer War could have been like if it had been fought on American soil.
++++ Characters: soldiers, masters, servants.
Spy Hill. On a hot summer's day, on a high hill surrounded by the enemy, the best battle-companion can turn out to be the truth.
Rook and Fairview have worked alongside each other for years, first as officers in the navy, then as officers on a steampship, and finally as colonels in an invading army. Members of a nation where tiny differences in rank are considered all-important, the two men defy convention by treating each other as equals.
But now their life-long bond is about to meet its greatest strain, when they are ordered to seize and defend a hill whose landscape is unknown, in the company of soldiers who may be incompetent or treacherous. Will Rook and Fairview's friendship remain by the end of the battle? Or will their lives take an unexpected detour as they struggle to survive on Spy Hill?
¶ E-book. Novella. R for wartime violence. Gay and general.
Fairview was the finest friend a man could have, and the finest battle-companion. I dared not risk doing anything that might break our friendship.
THREE LANDS
He vowed himself to his god. Now the god is growing impatient . . .
The Three Lands is a fantasy series on friendship, romance, and betrayal in times of war and peace.
++++ Characters: rulers, subjects, lords, liegemen/liegewomen, gods, priests, mortals, soldiers, spies, slaves, servants, mentors, proteges, multiracial.
Law Links. Few events are more thrilling in a young man's life than a blood feud between two villages. Or so Adrian thought.
Torn between affection toward his traditional-minded father and worship of his peace-loving, heretical priest, Adrian finds himself caught between two incompatible visions of his duty to the gods. Then the Jackal God sends Adrian a message that will disrupt his life and send him fleeing from a danger he knows too well.
¶ E-book. Novel. PG-13 for violence. General.
Sometimes I feel that he is as mysterious as the gods, and that he is hiding something of vital importance from me. Something that would transform my life.
Law of Vengeance. For over twenty years, Lord Carle has told the heir to the Emorian throne that vengeance is only the other side of mercy, and that disobedience and treachery should never be forgiven. Finally it seems that his message has been received. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that Carle should have chosen this moment to break the law.
As war threatens and the foundations of his life crumble, his only hope for rescue lies with a man who has every reason to hate Carle.
¶ E-book. Novel. PG-13. General and heterosexual.
For many years, I have wished to make a memoir of my life to pass on to future generations of Emorians who desire to learn what it means to have complete dedication to the Chara and his law. This is not to be the memoir I intended, but I find the time passing slowly here in the Chara's dungeon . . .
LOREN'S LASHES
A retro gay series set in the Midwest.
++++ Characters: college students.
Plus Love. Everyone calls her a fag hag. But Gay Pride Day has arrived, and her best friend is about to give her a new name.
There's nothing more embarrassing than feeling up a guy on a date, only to discover that he's gay. But when Zephyra realizes that her fellow college student has his own feelings of shame to overcome, she forges a friendship with him, only to watch as he blooms and grows in his new-found freedom.
Then another young man arrives in the big city, and Zephyra finds herself torn between an old bond and a new one. Now she must seek the strength to offer love to two very different men, who both need her.
¶ Online fiction. Short story. PG-13. General and gay.
"Tell me you're gay!" He nearly knocked her to the floor as he scrambled over her. "Please tell me you're gay!"