Author: A. L. Heard

Ashley, pen name A. L. Heard, fandom name jhoom, is a 35-year-old teacher, writer, and mother of two little boys. She’s been writing fanworks since she discovered fanfiction.net back in her middle school days; the platform has changed and the writing’s improved, but Ashley ultimately still spends her free time writing about characters she adores in worlds she’d like to explore. Her first novel, Hockey Bois, was published in 2021. In between writing projects, she works as a language teacher in the Pittsburgh area, plays hockey, and plays trains with her sons.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr | Twitter

Read an interview with A. L. Heard!

Titles by A. L. Heard

Hockey Bois: A book cover. The title of the book is "Hockey Bois: A Beer League Romance" and the author is A. L. Heard. The base color of the cover is orange, with text and a drawing over it. The drawing depicts two men from the back. They are in a loose embrace, one with an arm over the other's shoulder, the other with his arm around the first's waist. They're wearing hockey helmets and jerseys that read "Jensen 68" and "Porter 12," and there are hearts in red, white, and blue floating around them.

Hockey Bois – preorders open until December 10th, 2023!

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Red triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duxxx Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "In Which James Willoby Enjoys a Ball Far More Than One Should" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: “M/M * Historical (Victorian) * Risking Getting Caught * Hand Job.”

In Which James Willoby Enjoys a Ball Far More than One Should

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Blue triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duck Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "The Offered Ones" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: “Fantasy * Sentient Animals * Found Family * Warning: Harm to Children.”

The Offered Ones

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Blue triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duck Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "The Princess and the Maze" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: “Fantasy * Royalty * Period-Typical Misogyny * Fairy Tale Feel.”

The Princess and the Maze

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Blue triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duck Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "Princess Antonia del Montari aka The Accidental Barista" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: “Modern * F/F * Royalty * Meet Cute.”

Princess Antonia del Montari, aka The Accidental Barista

Hockey Boi’s Alternate Universes

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Blue triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duck Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "Brady Jense vs. Haunted Houses" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: "Modern High School Setting * M/M * Halloween * Getting Together."

Brady Jensen vs. Haunted Houses

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Red triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duxxx Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "Brambles, Pollen, and Other Natural Disasters" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: “Modern Erotica * M/M * OMG They Were Roommates * Sex Pollen (Consensual!).”

Brambles, Pollen, and Other Natural Disasters

A book cover. The background is a mottled tan parchment tone. Red triangles in each corner bear a simple motif resembling a very stylized peacock. An ornate decorative graphic with elegant swirls is centered at the top. At the bottom is the Duxxx Prints Press logo. The title of the book is "Snowbound and Love Sick" and the author is A. L. Heard. Text below the title reads: “Modern College Setting * M/M * Snowed-In Together * Idiots to Lovers."

Snowbound and Love Sick

Anthologies Including A. L. Heard

The cover of "Add Magic to Taste." It shows a bespectacled dragon standing behind a counter, lifting one clawed hand to add something into a sparkling beaker labeled "everything nice." Their tail holds open a book, the spine of which reads "Magical Morsels." They are surrounded by a plate of macaroons, a tiered stand with cupcakes and brownies, jars with candy, pictures of steaming coffee mugs, a bookshelf with a few books, and a cash register and tip jar. Above them is a banner with different queer flags, such as the lesbian flag, non-binary flag, trans flag, gay flag, bisexual flag, and others. A wooden banner reads "Add Magic to Taste," and at the bottom is a subtitle that reads "A Spellbinding (and Scrumptious!) Collection of Heartwarming Queer Stories."

Add Magic to Taste (editor and author contributor)

The cover of the book "And Seek (Not) to Alter Me." It shows four people in two couples - a pair of men in the foreground, embraced as if talking intimately and perhaps about to kiss, and a pair of women in the background, one reaching around to hug the other. All four people are dressed as though from different time periods - one man in faux 16th century garb, the other in armor, a woman dressed in Medieval style, the other in clothing from the early 20th century. A motif around the figures includes an arch and a curtain, suggesting that they are on a stage. A crowned duck in the lower right corner stands before all, mid-quack. Text on the image reads, "A Duck Prints Press Anthology. And Seek (Not) to Alter Me. Queer Fanworks Inspired by Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing."

And Seek (Not) to Alter Me: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” (editor)

The book cover for "He Bears the Cape of Stars," which is also the only text on the image. It depicts two men embraced as if dancing, their bodies close and their hands clasped. One man wears a mask. In the background is the moon. A blue neon star hovers over one man’s head.

He Bears the Cape of Stars (editor and author contributor)

The book cover for "She Wears the Midnight Crown," which is also the only text on the image. It depicts two women embracing as if dancing, both wearing dresses. One woman wears a mask; the other has removed her mask and holds it in one hand outstretched behind the other woman's back. In the background is the moon. A pink neon crown hovers over one woman’s head.

She Wears the Midnight Crown (editor)

The cover of the book "Aim For The Heart." It shows a person of indeterminate general in shades of red in the center of the image. They're dressed in a doublet over a collared shirt, thick gloves, and a broad-brimmed feathered hat. Only their nose and mouth show, the rest of their face covered by the hat, and the are smiling broadly. Their hands clasp the sides of their shirt, spreading it apart to reveal the center of their chest beneath. Three swords emerge from off-canvas, and their points converge just before the person's chest, the points crossed and aimed for the person's heart. In the background, two indistinct figures in historical, lace-trimmed dresses are shown in shades of gray; both reach for the central figure, one touching their face and chin, the other reaching for their shoulder. Text over the image reads "A Duck Prints Press Anthology. Aim For The Heart. Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas's 'The Three Musketeers'"

Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers” (author contributor, editor) – forthcoming