Wondering what we’ve got coming out in February? Well, wonder no more! Learn all about it, and read some teasers!
The theme for February is Storm’s Coming. Themes are selected by our monthly backers on Patreon and ko-fi, and we invite all our authors to interpret the theme loosely and draw inspiration from it. In February, three of the six stories we’re releasing are theme stories.
Duck Prints Press Titles (General Imprint)
February 11th: In Good Company by Nicola Kapron (theme story). Genre: Modern. Relationship: m/m. Primary Tags: horror, murder-husbands-to-be. Length: novelette.
Teaser: The first time Haruki Aoyama had gotten close to someone rotten, he’d been heartbroken. Now he was so used to being disappointed that he’d begun to seek it out. The signs were easy to spot once he’d learned to see them: a household with a too-quiet child and a too-loud adult. Kids who were never dressed right for the weather sitting in parks and under overhangs, waiting for someone to finally let them in. People who bought kids’ toys and clothes at the counter Haruki worked and said contradicting things when he commented on how the kid never seemed to join them at the store. Yes, once you had your eyes open, it was easy to see how many children were being failed by the monsters of this world.
February 18th: Princes Antonia del Montari, aka The Accidental Barista by A. L. Heard. Genre: Modern. Relationship: f/f. Primary Tags: meet cute, fluff. Length: short story (under 3k words).
Teaser: Toni slumps in her chair and stairs forlornly out the cafe windows. It’s a beautiful day, complete with a cloudless sky, birds singing cheerfully, and that perfect spring temperature appropriate for wearing anything from tank tops to sweatshirts. Really, it’s perfect.
And Toni’s stuck inside, working on an essay and about to get her third cup of coffee
February 25th: Moonweaver by Willa Blythe (theme story). Genre: Fantasy with Science Fiction. Relationship: f/f. Primary tags: trauma, climate change, friends to lovers. Length: short story.
Teaser: “The Universe has spoken,” Grandmother Flame said quietly, tossing a bit of powder on the fire and turning the flames a brilliant indigo. “Pomegranate and Honeycomb will beseech the Moon on our behalf to bring back the night and restore the balance of the world. I trust you will all send them both off with honor.”
Duxxx Prints Press Titles (Erotica Imprint)
February 4th: Lightbringer by boneturtle (theme story). Genre: Fantasy. Relationship: m/m. Primary Tags: amnesia, martyrdom, reunion, second chances. Length: novelette.
Teaser: There is a village at the far edge of the world where the people return to the same life each time they die. Endlessly, they forget, and live each of their lives as though it was their first. They climb the mountains, and fish in the frozen lakes, and eat what the forest provides. They are improbably happy, and they pray to no one.
Except for once, each year, when the light begins to fade.
February 18th: The Fated Prince by Mikki Madison. Genre: Historical with Magic. Relationship: m/m. Primary tags: arranged marriage, human/fae relationship, as slow a burn as you can get in 5,000 words. Length: short story.
Teaser: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today—”
To watch His Royal Highness, Prince Richard, sacrifice himself on the altar of his father’s hubris.
February 25th: We All Need to Get By by Lyn Weaver. Genre: Gothic/Fantasy with Technology. Relationship: m/m. Primary tags: relationship of convenience, human/vampire relationship, vampiric feeding kink. Length: short story.
Teaser: Kel hadn’t set out to become a vampire’s snack. Like most things in his life, it had just sort of happened. He’d done something stupid because it had looked like fun, realized exactly where that path would lead him if he continued down it, and then somehow been surprised when he ended up exactly where he’d thought he would. The very first time Sevan had showed up in the old church, looking to thank the new neighbour for banishing that dreadful aura of zealotry that had been clinging on for centuries, Kel had looked at him and thought, I’m gonna end up being sucked dry, aren’t I?
Intrigued? Want to make sure you don’t miss any of these? Your best bet is to sign up for our monthly newsletters and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more! Alternatively, pick any of our social media platforms to follow us on – we always cross-post about new releases!
Interested in reading more, and maybe claiming some of these stories for free? Backers on our Patreon and ko-fi get lots of extra content, sneak peeks, and a minimum of one free story each month!
Who we are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.