Category: Story Teaser

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: Lucy K. R. and Theo Neidlinger

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: Lucy K. R.

Biography: Lucy K.R. (she/her) is technically in existence. Every time she is free, she writes. Sometimes when she is not free she also writes. This has occasionally created problems. She is fortunate to be supported (read: enabled) by her enthusiastic fiancée Tomo, a loving OG family, and a lively found family as well.

Though a new name in original fiction, she boasts a couple publications in local newspaper Flagpole and has done some writing for board games and video games. Most notably, her work is featured in the new board game Mageling: Rise of the Ancient Ones.

In her stories, Lucy K. enjoys writing evil ideas as gently as possible, portrayed through unexpected lenses. She would like to acknowledge that she has never written a biographical statement that did not turn out weird, beg your indulgence, and express her hope that you enjoy her work in this anthology. The people at Duck Prints Press have been a delight, and she is deeply grateful to be included!

Links: Archive of Our Own | Twitter

Story Title: I Am For You

Tags: angst with a happy ending, bad parenting, miscommunication, misunderstandings, period-typical homophobia

Teaser:

Outside, raindrops battle against the windows of the manor, drenching his home and drowning the garden. When the lighting flashes it illuminates new angles of Don Pedro’s face. It’s a strange sight, made stranger by his frown. Thunder follows close on its heels.

“Leonato,” Don Pedro says, and reaches for him. “You’re better than this foolishness. What has happened, my love? What have you done?”

Ah, he is a weak man to the offer of Don Pedro’s touch. They clasp hands. Already Leonato’s harsh words rattle inside him. Already he aches from keeping even this small secret. He sighs, looks down at their joined hands, and strokes Don Pedro’s knuckles. Leonato has always been a man who loves until it hurts.

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Author Spotlight: Theo Neidlinger

Biography: Writer with a focus on LGBTQ+ themes. They/them.

Link: Twitter

Story Title: The Polyamorous “Oh”

Tags: genderfluid character, modern setting, non-binary character, polyamory, setting: seattle

Teaser:

“Hi there!” The new voice is chipper and smooth with a hint of an accent Harper can’t place. She’s smiling her muted customer service smile before she’s fully turned.

“Hello! How can I… help you?”

Hands tucked into worn brown overalls. Lightly tanned skin. Long brown hair that curls into ringlets, tucked behind ears lined with piercings. A soft, earnest smile. Huge grey eyes with starry white striations that make Harper itch to paint.

“I was just looking at your stuff,” they say. They have dimples. Dimples. “You’ve got a nice variety! Is any of it overwintered?”

There’s a long moment where Harper doesn’t even vaguely recall what the term “overwintered” means, her mind hung up on whiskey-colored freckles and how she’d gently dot the canvas to capture them.

***

Intrigued? We hope you’ll take a look at our Kickstarter (live NOW through April 14th, 2022) and learn more…

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: M. K. Mads and Nickel J. Keep

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: M. K. Mads

Biography: M. K. Mads has been writing stories since she was seven years old. While she is most prolific in fanfiction and has works scattered among more than a dozen fandoms, she has been making strides into original fiction. Her favorite genre to read is romance. When she isn’t reading, writing, or falling headfirst into a new fandom, she can be found baking, walking, doting on her niblings, or playing Pokemon Go.

Story Title: Dear Don Pedro

Tags: getting together, modern setting, polyamory

Teaser:

“Are you going to join us for dinner anytime soon, or are you going to sit there on your computer all night?”

Pedro glanced over to where Beatrice was hanging over the back of the couch. “I’m working, Bea.”

She pouted, but she didn’t try to touch his computer; Pedro was grateful for small miracles.

“Come on. I know for a fact your deadline isn’t until tomorrow afternoon.” She jerked her head toward the kitchen, where Benedick was mixing up a truly gigantic bowl of spaghetti and marinara. “You can stop working for an hour and have a conversation with your friends.”

“You know she’s not going to let it go until you decide to be sociable,” Benedick said. “She’s never learned to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Beatrice rolled her eyes and shoved off the couch to saunter over to her husband. “And just why might I do that, hm? Might it have anything to do with certain other people in this room who are too stubborn for their own good?”

Benedick caught her hand and kissed it. “No idea what you’re talking about, Bea, my love.”

She yanked her hand back, but her cheeks flushed and she was suppressing a smile. “You’re incorrigible, and I don’t know why I love you.”

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Author Spotlight: Nickel J. Keep

Biography: Nickel (they/them) was born in a galaxy far, far away. No. Wait. That’s not their origin story. They currently live in Pennsylvania with two of their three partners, their two children, and a fat, lazy, chonk of a cat named Sphinx. When not writing, Nickel can be found drawing, playing video games, or running Magic: The Gathering tournaments as an L1 judge. They can frequently be found lurking in the Haven, Leverage, and Witcher fandoms.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Twitter

Story Title: Some Cupids

Tags: friends to lovers, meddling friends, mutual pining, wlw

Teaser:

“It’s not that easy, Claudia.” Hero frowned. “There are people who would harm them just because they love one another.” He nodded towards Bea’s balcony. “She would rather suffer and love Beni from afar than do anything to put her at risk. And, I venture to say, Beni’s the same way about Bea.”

Claudia shook her head. “What a pair of cockeyed broads.” She stood up, nearly throwing Hero off-balance as she got off of his lap. “We’re going to fix this. Beni is my dear friend, and yours. I’ve grown rather fond of Bea, too, and you two are in her corner. The best repayment for helping us love freely and fiercely is to make sure that they can as well!”

“You picked a firecracker, didn’t you, Hero?” Matthew leaned back and shook his head, smiling. “I’m in if you’re in. They got me off the hook as much as did you.”

“Well, then.” Hero looked between his friend and his fiance. “I guess we’re in cahoots. What brainchild are you cooking up, Claudia?”

“I am so glad you asked…”

***

See our art, read more teasers, peek at our merch, and learn much more about this project by checking out our Kickstarter Campaign!

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: Lyn Weaver and Veronica Sloane

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: Lyn Weaver

Biography: Lyn Weaver has been writing fanfiction for over a decade and original fiction for even longer. Her preferred genres are fantasy and horror, and her preferred tropes are ‘enemies to lovers’ and anything to do with identity issues. She won’t read a story if something bad happens to the cat.

Story Title: Can Virtue Hide Itself?

Tags: modern with superheroes

Teaser:

“Bea!”

Bea grimaced. “Your feet aren’t even on the tree, Hero. Hey, innocent bystander Hero definitely hasn’t met, you wouldn’t happen to have a ladder handy?”

Ursula grimaced back. Just because she lived alone didn’t mean she was a real adult. “I’m a high school student, why would I have a ladder?”

“Does your landlord—”

“I do have an anti-grav gun though. Hang on, I’ll get it.”

Both Hero and Bea looked shocked when Ursula came back, multi-colored anti-grav gun in hand.

Why?

Yeah, the device kinda looked like it’d been made by a balloon clown, but it worked like a dream. Bea flinched when Ursula pulled the trigger and remained stiff as she lifted off the branch, cradled in a sphere of wobbly gravity. Only when her feet were safely on the ground, and Ursula had turned the gun off, did Bea relax.

“That’s so cool!” Hero kicked off the tree and flew down.

Ursula coughed and looked away. “It was nothing. Why were two superheroes in my tree to begin with?”

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Author Spotlight: Veronica Sloane

Biography: Veronica Sloane has authored a novel, several short stories, some poetry, and twenty-two years worth of fanfic. She lives with one lovely spouse, one rambunctious clever child, and one sleepy cat.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr

Story Title: The False Sweet Bait

Tags: noir, nonbinary character, pov first person

Teaser:

A smart tweed suit and, as a concession to the occasion, a string of my mother’s pearls would have to do for clothes. I kept to flats. Never knew when I’d have to run.

Claudio’s estate was outside the city, but I had a good car and the desire to speed. I arrived before the bulk of the fashionably late and parked myself, scandalizing the valet. The estate was the kind that had a fancy name and rose out of the cliff face like a fairy-tale castle. At night it shone like a golden beacon.

I took my time heading up, reminding myself of its entrances and exits; all the places a shady character might hide. So, naturally, I found one.

They were standing in the lee of the kitchen door, half-hidden by a jasmine bush. The white flowers bent around them as if to hide their lean form. They were dressed to the nines in a beautiful silk suit the color of the night sky and cufflinks that caught the starlight. The moon caught the sharp angles of their cheekbones and the gleaming black coif of their hair. All beauty and grace in one Benni Padua.

What an asshole.

“What are you doing here?” I barked, pleased when they fumbled with their fussy little notebook.

“I was invited.” They were the very picture of polite confusion. “And what are you doing here, Her Private Eyeness?”

*

You can read more about the collection, and more teasers, by visiting our Kickstarter! Running now through April 14th, 2022!

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: Theresa Tanner and Nova Mason

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: Theresa Tanner

Biography: Theresa Tanner (she/her): My father’s family was in newspaper journalism, and he taught me how to get to the heart of a story and how to proofread. My mom was an Army doctor, and her family included a long history of educators. I grew up to teach high school science and write stories, so I’d like to think both sides would be proud of me. When I retire from teaching, I plan to pursue writing as my second full-time career. When not teaching or writing, I enjoy playing with my cat, video games, knitting, listening to music, streaming TV, and, of course, reading. I live in West Texas now, but have lived in Maryland and Germany, and have traveled through much of the United States and Western Europe.

I’ve written several novels with the help of NaNoWriMo, although none are yet published. I have several hundred works on Archive of Our Own, primarily in the Supernatural and Yuri!!! on Ice fandoms. I currently also enjoy Miraculous Ladybug, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Boku no Hero Academia, Star Wars, Star Trek, Mass Effect, and The Lord of the Rings.

Story Title: Hero’s Moon

Tags: love letters, misunderstandings, mistaken identity, mlw, pining, setting: college, setting, college, wlw

Teaser:

“You’re not cursed. No such thing as curses.” Beatrice quickly tossed the letter she hadn’t quite finished toward the trash, then picked up the phone. It was open to Hannah’s Instagram, recognizable by her profile picture: a basketball hanging in space like a sun, with a tennis ball and a golf ball “in orbit” like a planet. Beatrice had been avoiding Hannah’s social media; she did not care to find out Dick Boy was real and not a figment of Hannah’s imagination. “Okay, what’s my cousin got to do with anything?”

Another long groan, and Claudia tangled her fingers in her long black hair, pulling it ever so slightly. “She’s so… perfect! I always knew there was never much hope. Only a fool’s hope.”

“Uh-oh. You’re quoting Gandalf. This is serious.” Beatrice looked more closely at Hannah’s Instagram feed. The first picture was of the moon. That made sense—every full moon, Hannah took pictures and shared the best one, captioned with a fun fact about the moon. Next post down was a picture of Uranus with a moon in transit, captioned I wonder if Margaret ever gets tired of the jokes about mooning her dad? “Who’s Margaret?”

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Author Spotlight: Nova Mason

Biography: Nova Mason spent a significant portion of her childhood fantasizing about dragons, spaceships, and other worlds. She is now, allegedly, a grown-up, with two kids, and more varied interests. Dragons, spaceships, and other worlds are still pretty high in the list, though.

Story Title: The Journal of Don Pedro; or, the Straights Are At It Again

Tags: asexual character, canon compliant, mistaken character death, pov first person

Teaser:

Well, if I cannot throw off the scent of the wedding-hounds by a marriage of my own, then I shall have to throw them on the trail of another. Luck is with me, for Beatrice proposed two targets for Cupid’s bow: my brother, and Benedick. I confess I am not confident of my brother’s adequacy for the task. She finds him handsome, but I know not his inclinations for love. I know Benedick. He rails against the sacrament and the very notion of love; I believe his fiery passion against it can be diverted to flow another direction. Leonato, Claudio, and Hero have joined my cabal and vowed to assist. With luck, Leonato will gain not only a son, but also a promised nephew before the wedding bells ring on Monday.

***

Want to know more about And Seek (Not) to Alter Me? Check out our Kickstarter campaign!

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: Nicole Wilkinson and Juno Caster

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: Nicole Wilkinson

Biography: Nicole has been publishing her writing for the public since she first stumbled into fanfiction back in 2007, when a college friend introduced her to the concept through the world of Final Fantasy VIII slash fiction. Since then, it’s been a roller coaster ride straight through dozens of fandoms, eventually leading to original content published through a variety of means. She’s in her mid-thirties, uses she/her pronouns, and more recently has discovered an intense affection for playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr | WordPress

Story Title: A Skirmish of Wit

Tags: fantasy setting, masquerade, polyamory, sexual harassment (mild)

Teaser:

“It’s not going to work,” Madeline fretted but a few hours earlier. She glared at their costumes, the heavy silks, and the limiting gaze of the masks. Every inch of her muscled frame was tense with displeasure.

Madeline takes their safety seriously, and the idea of being unarmored and unarmed in the midst of a fraught situation forced her usually sunny facade into a twist of discomfort.

“You’re both at least a head taller than me,” Madeline pointed out, and though her observation wasn’t wrong, it was nothing a little magic couldn’t fix, as Rae reminded her.

Magic couldn’t make Madeline’s stout, muscular frame match the tall, reediness of Hyacinth, or the soft and round curves of Rae, but it could convince curious eyes that there were other, more interesting things to observe.

Madeline gnawed on her worry where Hyacinth was all logic. “There will be so much spellcraft in the air, no one will notice a minor transmutation. Over half the attendees will indulge in illusion if only to seem more desirable.”

“It’ll work,” Rae assured Madeline. She took their hands in hers, tried to warm Hyacinth’s chilled fingers with her own, and swallowed a wince as Madeline squeezed back, a touch too strongly. “I love you both and this will work.”

*

Author Spotlight: Juno Caster

Juno is a queer woman in her thirties living in France; she teaches ESL and English literature. She’s been involved in fandom, mostly through writing fanfiction, for twenty years—first on forums and privately hosted websites, then on LiveJournal and FanFiction.net, and now on Tumblr and AO3. She’s mostly into Asian dramas these days; other interests include foreign languages, true crime, and coffee.

Links: Twitter

Story Title: Good Men and True

Tags: modern setting

Teaser:

Next to his partner (in every sense of the word) Verges appeared deceptively unremarkable. He didn’t possess Dogberry’s muscular bulk; instead, he was tall and wiry. His uniform fit him perfectly, and while it was a little creased from having been worn almost a whole shift through, it still looked as neat as the rest of him. He always kept his hair close-cropped, his cheeks clean-shaved; he would have looked austere were it not for the way his blue eyes shone, gentle and observant, from behind his silver-rimmed glasses.

He smiled at Dogberry, who was making a show of savoring his first sip of coffee, then turned his attention back to Margaret.

“You’re looking very sharp.”

“Thank you.”

“Today’s the day, right?”

“Today’s the day.”

***

We’ve got lots more teasers, samples of the art inside the book, merch, and more – all at our Kickstarter campaign! Check it out!

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: Adrian Harley and Sanjita Jain

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: Adrian Harley

Biography: Adrian Harley is an almost-lifelong North Carolinian and a fantasy fiction aficionado who didn’t start delving deep into fandom until adulthood. They are an editor of research by day and an aspiring novelist, also by day. They go to bed early. They have short stories forthcoming in OFIC Magazine and future Duck Prints Press anthologies. They live with their husband and a perfectly reasonable number of cats.

Link: Twitter

Story Title: Some Sparks That Are Like Wit

Tags: coming out, found family, modern setting, trans character

Teaser:

He lost count of the articles he read on transmasculinity. He joined a Reddit group. He checked out books from the library. He spent so long on name websites that diaper and baby store ads stalked him throughout the internet. Early in the haze of this process, he picked the name Ben, but he still went to four different name sites just to be sure. Just to be sure! He’d never been indecisive in his life! No, he picked a stance or food or outfit or bar and stuck with it. And if people made fun of him or looked down on him for it, he made a joke out of the whole enterprise but, crucially, did not budge a fraction of an inch. That was his way.

With all the pep talks he was giving himself about decisiveness, he should have known that he’d end up coming out by accident.

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Author Spotlight: Sanjita Jain

Biography: Hi! I’m Sanjita (she/they). I’ve been a writer since I was 12 years old, which is when I started reading fanfiction and almost immediately felt compelled to write some, too. I started in the Percy Jackson fandom, then moved through various medias until my stories started becoming so AU they were practically my own. While I’ve never published original fiction before, I’ve been publishing fanfiction steadily over the last decade across various usernames, and have published articles under my given name for multiple genres: interview, research, and more. I’ve also begun songwriting, and recently had one of my songs incorporated into a video game!

My fiction writing tends towards introspective, character-driven short stories, often laden with metaphor and double meanings. I love flowery imagery and poetic prose, and making characters suffer in the name of growth. More than that, I love using fiction as a way to connect with others: both through the text and through the process of writing. I’ve been running a fandom server for the past two years to build community and support other fanfic writers. I’ve also run two to three prompt months per year, and I’m excited to take on the beta and co-head mod role for a current zine!

When I’m not writing, I’m studying (for grad school, for a future medical school, for research work). Any time after that goes into reading as much as possible, or recently, graphic design, as I start creating graphics to enhance the quality of my events. I love talking to people who want to talk to me, and I will sleep anytime I’m presented with a soft surface to lay on (and sometimes even without). I can’t wait to share my work with you, thank you for taking the time to read it!

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr (fandomsilhouette) | Tumblr (nottesilhouette)

Story Title: find ourselves unstuck

Tags: character growth, modern setting, panic attacks, self-destructive behavior

Teaser:

“That’s fucking different. I could’ve made better choices; you had no other choices to make. This was my fault.”

You can’t take my mistakes away.

But Hero can take herself away. She flees, retreating to a rooftop where the air is thin enough to breathe past the terror in her chest, and somehow this surrender feels like a victory.

***

Learn more about this project by checking out our Kickstarter! Running now through April 14th, 2022!

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: R. L. Houck and K. B. Vimes

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

Duck Prints Press has launched our second Kickstarter, running now through April 14th, 2022 – And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, a gorgeous collection featuring the work of 16 authors and 16 artists in a full-color, A4 size soft cover size-style book!

Today, we’re highlighting 2 more of our authors…

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Author Spotlight: R. L. Houck

Biography: R. L. Houck (she/her) still has one of the first stories she ever wrote, all the way back from elementary school. It was about flightless penguins reaching the sun and was a good indication of her boundless imagination and her love of animals. The latter became a full-time veterinary career; the former keeps her occupied with fanfiction and original fiction in her downtime.

She’s sometimes found wandering the woods around her house in Virginia with her two dogs. If not there, she’s sitting on the couch, catching up on a Netflix series, and smothered by her six cats. Sometimes, there’s even space for her wife.

Story Title: Much Ruckus

Tags: angst with a happy ending, established relationship, found family, friendship, science fiction

Teaser:

“Do you think B loves him in return?” Claudia looked down to see one mischievous brown eye sleepily peeking back up at her.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks. So, now we just have to get them to realize how they feel about each other. Shouldn’t be hard.”

Claudia rather thought it would be hard, knowing B and Ben. But, Hera was pretty stubborn as well.

“Nap first, though?” Claudia suspected Hera was three quarters asleep and wouldn’t be good for any other planning.

“Mmm. Nap first,” Hera agreed. “Then we need to figure out”—she yawned again—“what to do about Jon.”

“Don’t forget the robbery. It’s the whole reason we’re all here.”

Hera’s answer was a tiny kitten snore. Claudia smiled helplessly at the top of her mate’s head. There was a lot to do, but for now, it could wait.

Nap first, after all.

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Author Spotlight: K. B. Vimes

Biography: K. B. Vimes lives in West Virginia with his fiance and their six cats, four frogs, three lizards, and a number of fish. In his spare time he makes paper craft, takes long walks with his fiance, and visits state parks. He’s been writing since he was old enough to hold a pencil, and for years has told stories to anyone willing to hold still long enough to listen.

Story Title: ASS[U]ME: A Queer Love Story

Tags: characters in drag, period-typical homophobia, period-typical understandings of gender and sexuality, setting: 2000 – 2010

Teaser:

Bustychick Arnold always started her act with a song, and this time was no different. A song of heartbreak and sadness, tonight, to match her mood. Her best friend Claude had joined the rest of the guys in the unit on the base laughing about “men in dresses,” and while she’d done her best to join in, Bustychick couldn’t help but be heartbroken by it.

Her large wig had hair piled high on her head, far bigger than could be managed without some serious hairspray or extremely curly hair. It was bright pink, with a faux military cap pinned jauntily on top. Her hair didn’t move as she swung her hips in time to the music, not made for the kind of subtlety other drag queens went for in their outfits. It reminded her sometimes of the helmets she wore in military life. Her outfit now, ironically, was just as much a form of armor as that was.

A pink camouflage mini-dress, the skirt flared out at her waist with layers and layers of petticoats and tulle. Her padded bra gave her an ample bosom, though the fact that she was not particularly gifted in that department naturally meant that her neckline was best suited high to hide the space where the bra ended. Today it was a mock turtleneck halter-top.

Her makeup was on point, contoured to hide her square jawline and sharp nose, with big eyes and high, painted-on eyebrows over her waxed-down real ones. Bright pink lipstick completed the look.

When the song ended she breathed hard, smiling at her audience as they clapped and cheered.

“Now, now. I have some things to say before we end this!” she finally interrupted, and the crowd quieted.

“How do you all like living in this town with its military base?” Bustychick asked, to the sound of loud boos. “I thought so! We all know how well the military treats us! Why, even just a hint of queerness can end a good man’s career, as if we were all traitors to the cause!”

The jeering got louder, and someone in the back shouted, “Preach it, sister!”

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell might keep us in the military sometimes, but only under a cloak of shame! DADT was needed years ago, but now? Now it holds us back! A queer man deserves to be able to share his benefits with his male partner just like a straight man can!”

The crowd was fully riled up now, calls of “Amen!” sounding from all around.

*

And these are only 2 of the 16 wonderful stories in this collection! Check it out now!

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“And Seek (Not) to Alter Me” Story Teasers: Era J. M. Couts and Aria L. Deair

Author Spotlight: Era J. M. Couts

Biography: I’ve been a writer for over 20 years. Well, if I actually think about it carefully, it has probably been longer than that. I do remember writing a story on MS Paint when my age was still single digits. I could have used Word, but Paint was funnier, it let me draw my scenes there too.

So maybe I should rephrase it: I have been a fanfic writer for over 20 years. There, that looks a bit better. I wrote a few originals, too, but those never saw the light of day. They will, eventually.

I like to write about characters and their development. I like to write about feelings and struggles and how complicated life can be even when it looks so simple. I like to write epic love stories that don’t always have a happy ending. But most often they do.

I will, one day, write a dystopian series that I’ve been plotting for over a decade. One day, certainly one day.

Aside from being a writer, I’m a reader, an opinionated mind, an Aries, an immigrant, a coffee lover, and a night owl that has been forced to conform to the social norm of waking up early only to become a “Morgenmuffel.”

I am passionate, energetic, lazy, and sarcastic. I’m a CrazyCatLady in the making, a food lover that cannot cook, the Man™ my grandma wanted me to marry, and a happy soul in my own shoes.

And, above all, I am weird. I am queer. And so damn proud of it.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr

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Story Title: Ruckus, Drama, and 2 Metre Tall Penguins

Tags: genderqueer character, modern setting, setting: berlin

Teaser:

“I bet you a lokum cube they will stay at this for a good ten minutes.” Brigit nudged Jinji gently, moving around on the old bench to make herself more comfortable. Her teasing smile made Jinji sigh.

Sitting next to Brigit, Hatice giggled, “Ten minutes? I say we will not have any more rehearsing to do tonight!” she said, stretching her legs in front of her. “I bet you two lokum cubes they will not even notice if we leave now.”

“Am I the only one worried we won’t be ready in time for the premiere?” Jinji eyed the ladies, with their light moods and high spirits, and tried not to frown. He was certainly the youngest in their theatre group; he was also, alongside the always warm/stunning/Jinji’s-”problem number one” Pascoal, the latest to join. He didn’t have much experience with theatre—or any stage art for that matter—but his nature demanded he succeed. Shouldn’t they be able to run the play from start to end when they were mere 14 days away from the big night?

“You worry too much, pumpkin,” Hatice said, and Jinji sighed again. She’d been saying that since the day he’d joined the group, three months before. “Your generation seems to be built to worry! Our grandkids are the same. Always worrying about one thing or another.”

“You will have worry wrinkles by the age of twenty-five if you keep frowning like that,” Brigit warned, nudging him again. Carlo’s cursing onstage grew so loud it nearly drowned her out. “And then, when you get to our age, you will look like our rescued sphynx cat!”

*

Author Spotlight: Aria L. Deair

Biography: Aria L. Deair is an author who has been writing and (while cursing her excessive comma usage) publishing fanfiction online for more than sixteen years. Freelance writer by day and author every other hour that she isn’t sleeping, she spends her days courting carpal tunnel and “forgetting” to wear her wrist brace.

As a proud member of more fandoms than she can count, Aria can be found blogging about some of the writing that she is avoiding doing at @arialerendeair.

Like a dragon with her hoard, she can be found in her New Hampshire apartment, surrounded by notebooks (most of which are empty), half-filled mugs of tea, and some of the comfiest blankets that have ever existed. Disturb her at your own risk, especially during NaNo Season.

Links: Discord: ✨Dragon✨#5555 | Tumblr | Twitter

Story Title: An Office Ado

Tags: fluff, friends to lovers, getting together, modern setting, mutual pining

Teaser:

“Don’t be like that.” Hero bumped his shoulder with her own. When he still said nothing, she turned to look at him then took his arm to stop them on the landing between floors. “We’re friends, aren’t we, Beau?”

Beau blinked in surprise, turning his full attention to her. “What makes you ask a question like that, Hero?”

She shifted on the balls of her feet, brushing a fleck of imaginary dust off her slacks. “I wondered if you talk with me the same way I do with you.”

“I do,” Beau tilted his head. It was clear she had more to say. “In fact, you often bemoan how much I talk about—”

“I’m not talking about work or office things, Beauregard,” Hero said, her lips pressing together to make a thin line. “I’m talking about you.’

Beau frowned, his shoulders hunching. “What about me?”

Hero waved a hand at him. “Things like whether you’re a cat or a dog person, why you only own six collared shirts—”

Beau stiffened indignantly. “It’s efficient—”

“—and how long you’ve been in love with Benedict Dickson.”

***

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Add Magic to Taste Author Spotlight: Florence Vale

Florence is a Norwegian picture book author and fanfic enthusiast. Her current obsessions include Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Magnus Archives, and just about any actual play podcast she can get her hands on. In addition to Add Magic to Taste and her Archive of Our Own account, you can find her writing in the original zines Mansion of Fears and Carpe Noctem.

Link: Archive of Our Own

Story Title: Bånd

tags: asexual character, biromantic character, creature character, curses (accidental) magical mishap, mlm, norway, reaper, witch character

Teaser:

Thomas wasn’t sure how he recognised him, but he did—the moment the guy came in, there was this shift in the air, a shiver that made him think: oh. It’s you.

The guy was wearing a cherry red all-weather jacket today, its edges lined with silver high-visibility stripes. Everything above his neck was soaked and his hair was dark with water; it ran down his forehead and temples in lazy little rivulets.

“How can I help you?” Thomas asked.

The stranger marched up to the counter, leaving mud in his wake.

“You cursed me,” he said. His eyelashes were clumped together with rainwater, spiky and long like the legs of a spider, and his eyes were dark and very, very wide.

Scared, Thomas’s mind supplied.

“Sorry?” he managed. He hadn’t—

But he remembered tapping his fingers against the grain of the wood. With a sinking feeling, he remembered thinking, idly, that he hoped the guy would be easier to pin down next time.

He hadn’t meant to curse him.

But he had.

Uh oh, a curse isn’t a great way to start a relationship! Where will Thomas and this stranger go from here? Find out by…

Backing our Kickstarter and getting your own copy of Add Magic to Taste!

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Add Magic to Taste Author Spotlight: Alex Ransom

Alex Ransom is a longtime fan writer and translator recently expanding into original fiction. Her favorite trope, as both reader and writer, is “Earn Your Happy Ending,” in which characters fight through perhaps inordinate amounts of difficulty to come out happier and more content on the other side. She is especially interested in the intersection between social circumstances, personal history, and the formation and maintenance of identity. Her favorite genres are space opera, fantasy, queer romance, and poetry.

As a child, Alex thought everything was better if it was more complicated and that the best answer to a yes or no question was usually  “both.” Consequently, today she is bi/pansexual, trans/nonbinary, has worked a variety of jobs, and has three degrees in completely unrelated fields. When she isn’t writing or doomscrolling on the internet, she likes to travel, hike, and build marginally functional furniture. She lives outside Boston, Massachusetts, with her spouse and adult daughter.

Story Title: Flowers Bloom Even Then

tags: aromantic character, bipoc character, bisexual character, deadnaming, gender dysphoria, gender non-conforming character (femme), internalized misogyny, mentions of biphobia, mentions of transphobia, mlen, nonbinary character (transmasculine)

Teaser:

The princessy garden party look had cleaned up well, too. The butterfly illusions had been replaced by ones featuring fireflies, the lights lowered to almost nothing, and the tables supplied with tapered candles in ornate holders too delicate and perfect to be anything but magically enhanced. There was still that same air of near unreality, but where before the fantasy had been a comforting childhood idyll, now it was recognizable even to Max, who had never had a single romantic feeling in his entire life, as the stuff of falling in love and living happily ever after.

For a moment, it made him almost angry. This was exactly why he didn’t date. Where was the future for a guy like Max in a world like this? Was he supposed to pretend forever?

What good things lurk in Max’s future (we promise, they’re good things)? Back the Add Magic to Taste Kickstarter, read the book, and find out!

Learn more now!