Author Extra: The Syrup Incident by Ava Kelly

The Syrup Incident by Ava Kelly

Buy Link:
http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=82

Blurb:

Andy gets dragged by Jerry into spying on their other roommate, who may or
may not be hiding a bloody knife in her purse. Taking trips into her closet
and following her into alleys on the bad side of town only increase Andy’s
internal struggle with his feelings for Jerry. As shenanigans morph into
clichés and turn their lives into a rom-com movie set, will the boys find
their ways into each other’s arms?

Author Extra:

The first time Jerry meets Andy, he thinks that they could be good
roommates. The second time Jerry talks to Andy, he thinks that they could be
awesome friends. The third day Jerry wakes in their apartment, coming out of
the shower with his usual towel-clad swag, Andy walks into a wall.

Jerry stops thinking.

The first time Dennis spends the night at Andy and Jerry’s, he thinks he’s
imagining how Andy glares at Jerry’s T-shirt. The second time Dennis runs
into the boys on campus, he thinks it’s almost cute how they keep eating
from each other’s plate. The third time Dennis goes to a concert with his
friends, he thinks that Jerry holding Andy from behind in the crowd to be
protected by strangers needs to be addressed.

Dennis stops thinking and calls Sharon.

The first time Sharon worked at a shelter, it was for community service. The
second time Sharon met Eric, she wanted to test his IQ –- the man was a
genius. The third time she did Dennis a favor, she ended up apologizing to
Eric for a week.

Sharon stops what she’s doing when the thought pops in her head. “Hey, Eric!
Where did you put those hidden cameras that crazy dude donated?”

New Release Day - Happy Holidays!

The Syrup Incident
By: Ava Kelly
14 pages / 4000 words
$1.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=82
Blurb:
Andy gets dragged by Jerry into spying on their other roommate, who may or may not be hiding a bloody knife in her purse. Taking trips into her closet and following her into alleys on the bad side of town only increase Andy’s internal struggle with his feelings for Jerry. As shenanigans morph into clichés and turn their lives into a rom-com movie set, will the boys find their ways into each other’s arms?

Awkward teenage bisexual confessions, and representation for young girls who crush on girls

Last week I remembered something I hadn’t thought about in a really long time. The summer when I was fifteen, and had only been aware of my feelings for other girls for about a year, my mom used to take me to this vegetarian café where you told the person behind the counter what kind of ingredients you wanted on your salad and then at the end of the line they weighed it and you probably paid by the ounce. The girl who worked there was about my age and I found her fiendishly attractive. She was on the fatter side of average, bosomy, brown hair, with facial features that reminded me of my own people (I know you’re not really supposed to “look Jewish” so let’s leave it at that.) I won’t post her name here because I feel like that would tip this post into ‘creepy invasion of privacy’ territory.

At that age, crushes consumed me. I had about ten crushes at once, some on men, but most of the most intense ones on other girls around my age. I was also fifteen and, despite being grades-smart and reading-level-smart, I wasn’t smart enough to, you know, start an actual conversation with her about what she was into and did she like Star Wars or play an instrument or did we even have anything in common at all. That’s how you start a relationship, and I knew that. I totally knew that! I’d even written it into the stories I wrote at that age!

But did I do any of that? No. What I did do, was call the store and invite her to my Sweet Sixteen. A total stranger. On the basis of being attractive.

Faceplant.

Naturally, she said no. So why am I talking about this?

Because I realized while facepalming about this earlier today that a major motivation for writing about my character Shulamit’s awkwardness, her crushes on most of the women she encounters in The Second Mango, and her lack of finesse in finding a girlfriend –- a major motivation for me was to show someone feminine fretting that way over other girls. To show that someone like me could fret like that and HAD fretted like that.

You see, in literature and movies, the awkward teenage boy crushing on beautiful female peers is a beloved trope of the coming of age genre—whether it’s set in modern times, historical times, fantasy, or sci-fi. Everywhere from Archie Comics to the demonstration on how all the parts of your body work together at Disney/EPCOT’s short-lived Health pavillion talk about young men struck into silliness by a combination of hormones and lack of experience when they see pretty girls.

And literature also talks about how young women are struck into equal stupefaction by their male peers, or male celebrities. We all grow up knowing what it looks like to be a young woman mooning over a boy, or a young man mooning over a girl.

I didn’t see any girls mooning over other girls. And even if I did, they were very masculine-presenting girls, so it didn’t even feel like representation to me—it felt like the same as Archie crushing on Veronica, only it was an Archielike girl, instead of someone like me.

What would that even look like?

It would look like a little teenaged violinist with braces and big hair, calling up a stranger who worked at a salad shop because she was so goshdarned pretty.

Shulamit totally would have done that. That’s the part of me I put into her.

I remember how alone I felt, and I think a big part of that loneliness was the lack of seeing that happening to anyone else in fiction. If you crushed on a girl, if you weren’t a boy you were at least masculine.

Anyway, it feels good to have my little fictionalized representation of what I was like at that age. And, Salad Lady, wherever you are, I’m sorry I was such a dope – if you were queer, I should have asked you out the right way or at least made friends, and if you were straight, well, you once got asked out extremely badly by a bisexual girl and you are welcome to laugh at me.

Those of you who are in that place right now — make friends. And good luck. My heart goes out to you :)

Shira Glassman blogs and posts character art here.

2013 Rainbow Book Awards

We want to congratulate ALL winners and runner-ups.  However please give a special shout-out to our Torquere/Prizm winners!!!

The link for all winners is:  http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org

Best LGBT Young Adult
2. Jere' M. Fishback - Tyler Buckspan

6. Huston Piner - My Life as a Myth

7. Laura Hughes - Don't Ask


Best B/T & LGBT Debut
2. Laura Hughes - Don't Ask


Best Gay Debut
9. Huston Piner - My Life as a Myth


Best LGBT Novel
3. Laura Hughes - Don't Ask

Dreaming Big!

When I was 16, having read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings for the fourth time, I tried my hand at writing fantasy. A dismal failure. Way too derivative. I gave up, except for one university assignment where I successfully told the Beowulf story from the queen’s perspective.

For the next few years, I wrote a little poetry and got busy in community development work. Then, I got a job where I had to tell two stories every week. I needed to delve into old myths and let them shine light on modern everyday questions. This was really good practice (I work as a protestant minister.)

So about ten years ago, when the itch to write fantasy could no longer be resisted, I delved into the myths of Greece. I immersed myself in that world and began to tell the story of a girl who meets a centaur. Eventually I enrolled in a correspondence program in creative writing and learned how little I knew about setting a scene and narrative arc.  I revised and revised and revised. Learned a lot! That story waits in a drawer for rebirth one of these days. But I had the bug, and a bit more of the knack. I picked up another theme, the captive princess/ Helen of Troy story. Once more I plunged into the world when the gods of Olympus were young. The novel  Moon of the Goddess published here at Prizm Books came to be.

This novel required two research trips to Greece, a wonderful side benefit to the choice of setting! And it took lots of revision, and some patient, helpful readers. But I enjoyed the project from start to finish. I hope you do too!

So, if you dream of writing, or whatever, don’t give up! The princess in Moon of the Goddess didn’t. I didn’t. Keep at it and amazing things can happen.

Holiday New Release!

A Christmas Caroler
By: John Amory
42 pages / 12000 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-620-8
$2.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=81
Blurb:
Jeremy Walsh is a high school senior who's got big plans for his future -- namely, to perform at Carnegie Hall. But before he can get there, he needs to secure the solo in his renowned high school choir's Christmas concert and get into college. Everything seems to be on track until a cute new student, Zach Brooks, shows up and ruins all of Jeremy's plans by snatching the solo out from under him. With his college auditions looming and the Christmas concert fast approaching, Jeremy has more on his plate than he can handle. Can the magic of the Christmas season bring Jeremy and Zach together?
Coming Next Week...


The Syrup Incident
Ava Kelly
What could bloody knives, closets, cheesecake, shovels, and dark alleys have in common? I’ll tell you what: heart attacks!
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, Mystery/Suspense, Romance

Thankful Sale!!!

Happy almost-Thanksgiving!! Get 20% off through Monday with coupon code "thankyou" at torquerebooks.com or prizmbooks.com! Sale ends Monday night at midnight.

New Release Day

Stxeamtown
By: John Reinhard Dizon
152 pages / 46500 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-614-7
$5.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=80
Blurb:
Trip and Lyrica come from opposite sides of the creek that defines the borderline of Streamtown. The mercantile North Side and the agrarian South Side observe different customs and lifestyles that segregate the neighborhoods. Trip and Lyrica communicate by signals across the rooftops and eventually meet and fall in love, only they realize they will have to flee the Aboveground and start a new life in a 'low ground' society they have never known.
The young lovers soon learn of the plight of the banished rooftop children, and fight for their rights as citizens of Streamtown. But Lyrica's jilted suitor from the Aboveground conspires with Trip's ex-friends to kidnap Lyrica and return her to the rooftops. The Aboveground society is uncovered in the process, and Trip and Lyrica are forced to intercede on behalf of their childhood neighbors, facing the wrath of their new benefactors.
Coming Next Week...
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! No new books.

Author Extra: Love of the Hunter by V.L. Locey

Love of the Hunter by V.L. Locey

Everyone down on Earth thinks the life of a Greek sun god is a walk through
Elysium. They could never be more wrong. Apollo, the ever youthful son of
Zeus is far from home, banished from Olympus to live and train with the
Titan, Helios. To make matters worse, Apollo is still mourning the loss of
his lover Hyacinthus. Life becomes a daily routine of shame, drudgery, and
abuse until the young hunter Orion appears at the eastern end of the world,
seeking the healing touch of a Titan.

When Helios refuses to aid yet another offspring of the usurping gods,
Apollo hides Orion and heals the hunter as best as his fledgling powers
allow. Blinded eyes heal slowly, and the son of Zeus and the son of Poseidon
find themselves falling in love as months go by. But the gods of Olympus see
all, and Skyfather Zeus is disapproves of the budding relationship. Can the
love of two young lovers stand against the disapproval and fury of the god
of men? Or will the night skies forever be changed?

buy link:
http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_27&products_id=79

Author Extra:

Ever since I was a young girl I was fascinated with mythology. There was
something magical and special about the legends of Heracles, Achilles,
Perseus, and Odysseus. I would spend hours reading books about the Greek
pantheon. I cannot recall how many times I watched the first Clash of the
Titans movie. More times than a grown woman should, that`s for sure. I am a
huge fan of Edith Hamilton, and use her novels as some writers use a
dictionary or a thesaurus. It always struck me as sad that some people
couldn`t enjoy mythology as I did, but given how it`s presented in
classrooms from elementary school through college, it`s no wonder so many
hate Greek mythology. 

I`ve tried, through my writing, to bring the gods to life. I`ve gone in and
blown the dust bunnies off Zeus` marble nose and ran my Swiffer over Hera`s
peacock feather fan. With my self-published books I`ve taken the gods and
goddess and dropped them into our world, with some hilarious and romantic
results. With Love of the Hunter, I`ve retold the story of Orion in a very
different way than most of us originally learned it. I`ve turned the sun god
Apollo into the storyteller, and have him struggling with not only the loss
of a lover, but with the knowledge that he will never be the son Zeus wishes
him to be. And then Orion appears, blinded and needing aid, and Apollo finds
himself falling for the son of Poseidon.

There are many variations of the legend of Orion. Some have Orion and
Artemis being friends, some say they were lovers and Apollo grew wroth and
summoned a giant scorpion to kill the hunter. For as many poets as there
were in the days of ancient Greece, there are variants on this famous tale. 

I hope my telling of two young men who are drawn to each other despite all
the godly odds brings a new and compelling angle to a tale as old as the
cosmos themselves. 

V.L. Locey

Author Extra: Moon of the Goddess by Cathy Hird

Moon of the Goddess by Cathy Hird

Thalassai, pampered princess of ancient Tiryns, wakes from a dream and
discovers she has been kidnapped. Her fear grows to terror when she realizes
her kidnappers intemd to use her as a pawn to gain Poseidon?s aid for their
valley. The mother goddess, who in the past sustained the valley, calls a
bloodred harvest moon into the spring sky. She will challenge Poseidon for
the allegiance of her people and assist the princess.

Thalassai?s brother Melanion rides north to rescue her, and finds allies
among the servants of the goddess. Slowed by bandits, Melanion is forced to
take a tunnel under the mountains even though earthquakes have rendered it
hazardous. He skirts the edge of Hades? kingdom as he races to reach his
sister in time. Caught between the mother goddess and the rising power of
Olympus, will Thalassai break under the strain or find the strength she
needs to stand up to her captors?

Set in the days of Helen of Troy and the great heroes of Greece, this story
takes the reader on a fast paced journey across the sun-drenched landscape
of Homer and deep into darkness.

buy link:
http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=78

Author Extra:

Panacea walked barefoot across the sand. The waves of the Gulf of Corinth
lapped gently, and she let the warm water wash over her tired feet. She did
not remember the last time she felt this tired. 

Or this frustrated. What am I doing racing across Greece with this prince
and his companion? 

She knew the answer to her own question. The mother goddess had placed a
bloodred moon in the sky, a warning of danger that everyone in the shrine
could read. So, because she was the best rider among the goddess?s servants,
she was the one chosen to join the quest of the prince Melanion to rescue
his kidnapped sister. 

Panacea felt the eyes of the men on her back. They had not wanted to take
her along, confident of their own power as they were. Melanion also seemed 
suspicious because her father Asclepius was an Olympian god. But her father
had turned to the Mother long ago, and left behind the ambitions of the gods
and goddesses of Olympus. He had taught her to follow the ancient patterns
of the earth. 

If only my father had left me enough connection to know what is happening!
No point in wishing. He had severed those ties thoroughly, and she had no
way to know what danger she rode toward at this headlong pace. 

Panacea massaged her sore shoulder. Her mare Nalia kept up with the
stallions of the men just fine, but as much as she loved her white horse,
neither of them had made a journey like this at speed. Her muscles ached,
and there were blisters on her thighs. The blisters she would rub with a
special ointment when she returned to the fire, and they would be gone by
morning. The muscles would take longer, but she knew they would get better
each day. 

A single wave pushed over her feet and up her ankles. She looked down and
wondered if the rising tide was a sign. Surely it was not an omen that
events would overwhelm the captured girl. 

Mother, goddess of the red moon, what is the danger we race toward? 

She closed her eyes and felt for the presence of the goddess. The voices of
the men came toward her on the light breeze though she could not hear what
they said. 

The prince is so short sighted, concerned only about his sister. She
corrected herself. He was focused on what had happened to her, but he also
saw the danger if his city of Tiryns went to war on the city the kidnappers
came from. He wanted to prevent wide spread conflict. That she appreciated.
These days, most of the leaders of the cities of Greece put ambition and
pride above all else. 

Panacea pushed the sound of voices aside and focused her thoughts on the
goddess. Another wave lapped around her ankles, and she sensed gentle
laughter, a call to open her eyes.

The edge of the moon had risen above the water and a silver-bright arrow of
light ran straight across the waves to her feet. 

I have been chosen, she thought. For whatever reason, I need to make this
journey. Tiredness flowed from her feet as if washed away by the moving
water. The choice to join this quest had been right, and if she kept
connected to the goddess, the next choice would come to her. 

The words of hymn to the goddess came to her, and she raised her arms.
Singing would help her focus. And help her sleep. She was going to need all
her strength on this journey into unknown danger.

New release day!!!

Love of the Hunter
By: V.L. Locey 141 pages / 45500 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-606-2

$5.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_27&products_id=79

Blurb:
Everyone down on Earth thinks the life of a Greek sun god is a walk through Elysium. They could never be more wrong. Apollo, the ever youthful son of Zeus is far from home, banished from Olympus to live and train with the Titan, Helios. To make matters worse, Apollo is still mourning the loss of his lover Hyacinthus. Life becomes a daily routine of shame, drudgery, and abuse until the young hunter Orion appears at the eastern end of the world, seeking the healing touch of a Titan.

When Helios refuses to aid yet another offspring of the usurping gods, Apollo hides Orion and heals the hunter as best as his fledgling powers allow. Blinded eyes heal slowly, and the son of Zeus and the son of Poseidon find themselves falling in love as months go by. But the gods of Olympus see all, and Skyfather Zeus is disapproves of the budding relationship. Can the love of two young lovers  stand against the disapproval and fury of the god of men? Or will the night skies forever be changed?



Moon of the Goddess
By: Cathy Hird 217 pages / 61700 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-612-3

$6.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=78

Blurb:
Also available in paperback at Amazon.com
Thalassai, pampered princess of ancient Tiryns, wakes from a dream and discovers she has been kidnapped. Her fear grows to terror when she realizes her kidnappers intemd to use her as a pawn to gain Poseidon’s aid for their valley. The mother goddess, who in the past sustained the valley, calls a bloodred harvest moon into the spring sky. She will challenge Poseidon for the allegiance of her people and assist the princess.

Thalassai’s brother Melanion rides north to rescue her, and finds allies among the servants of the goddess. Slowed by bandits, Melanion is forced to take a tunnel under the mountains even though earthquakes have rendered it hazardous. He skirts the edge of Hades’ kingdom as he races to reach his sister in time. Caught between the mother goddess and the rising power of Olympus, will Thalassai break under the strain or find the strength she needs to stand up to her captors?

Set in the days of Helen of Troy and the great heroes of Greece, this story takes the reader on a fast paced journey across the sun-drenched landscape of Homer and deep into darkness.

New Release Day

The Co-Walkers, Awakening
By: Hermine G. Steinberg
233 pages / 67200 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-602-4
$6.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=77
Blurb:
Could life get any worse for Ashley, Brian, and Matthew? Their father abandoned them, they’ve been shipped off to live with a total stranger, and now they've discovered that everything they’ve ever learned about the world is a lie!
But to find the truth, they will have to battle evil faeries, risk their lives to claim magical talismans, and earn the respect of Elves who have vowed to kill them. Will they be able to prove that they are the legendary Co-Walkers who are able to travel between the Earthly and Faery Realms? Or are they merely pawns caught in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy that could lead to the destruction of both their worlds? It's up to Ashley, Brian, and Matthew to discover their unique abilities and restore what magick alone cannot repair.
Coming Next Week...


Love of the Hunter
by VL Locey
You've read the legend of Orion as it was passed down by scholars and poets. Now read the legend from the sun god Apollo, who loved the famous archer of the stars more than any other.
Genre:Historical, Romance, LGBT, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Moon of the Goddess
Cathy Hird
Thalassai, pampered princess of ancient Tiryns must develop inner strength when she is kidnapped to buy the aide of Poseidon for a valley devastated by earthquakes. With the aid of a mother goddess, Thalassai’s brother Melanion races to rescue her and save the valley.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical Fantasy

Happy New Release Day

We hope you have a wonderful holiday week! This is the one time of the year you can be whoever you want to be. Put on the costume and go out for some fun!!  Make sure you get some new books to read when you get back in from the fun!


A Strange Place in Time - Book 1
By: Alyx J. Shaw
221 pages / 67000 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-598-0
$6.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=76
Blurb:
Raised in a motorcycle gang, John Arrowsmith has a bad case of wanderlust. He's not sure what drives him, but he knows he has to go, and he has the perfect machine to ride on; the big custom bike he calls Harley. When he and Harley get run off the road and wake up someplace completely unfamiliar, Arrowsmith knows something has gone pretty darned wrong.
With a cast of characters that include thieves, Moonhounds, and ogres, John has to find his way through this new world, trying to understand why he's been transported there, and why he's falling for a guy named Infamous. What Arrowsmith finds out surprises him, and might just kill him. Can he survive to find his way home?
Coming Next Week...


The Co-Walkers
by Hermine Steinberg
Join the Co-Walkers on their quest to the Spirit Realm to discover the truth of their existence and prevent their worlds from destruction.  Follow Ashley, Brian, and Matthew on their journey to uncover whether they are pawns in a dangerous conspiracy or prophets about to trigger the Great Awakening.
Genre:  Fantasy-Adventure

New Book: Zirkua Fantastic

Art, in general, is how we commune with the universe. But I feel that music is one of the few truly universal things. I've never in my life met someone that doesn't like at least some music. It's something that everyone responds to, at one point or another, even if we can't explain it.

The circus is no different. Whenever we hear 'Thunder and Blazes,' we think of the circus, because it's become synonymous with circuses and carnivals. Every circus act comes with music because, used correctly, it enhances the feelings an act intends to create.

With music as such an integral part of a circus, I had to ensure it was there. But not just music, since Zirkua Fantastic is not just a circus. While any great music is enthralling, I wanted this to be more. It had to be enchanting. The music of Zirkua, along with everything else, had to have just a touch of magic to it. To me, violins and fiddles are rife with power, if only because of the skill required to play them. To me, being ensorcelled by a violin isn't a great jump from reality. So Zirkua's acts are all performed to violin and fiddle music.

Excerpt:

As the caravan rambled down the interstate, Tobias rolled onto his side. The prop wagon wasn't the most comfortable. He'd have to opt out of practice to sleep once they got the tent up. No hope for that here.

He tossed aside the air silk he'd been using as a blanket and sat up, looking around, listening to the truck's tires thud across potholes and cracked pavement. He checked the straps holding the crates, tightened one that had loosened on the drive. "Crap." If one came loose, others could, too. He pushed himself off his stack of crates and toppled when they hit a particularly nasty bump. "When was the last time they fixed up this road?" He dragged himself up and stumbled toward the rear door of the truck, cranking straps tighter as he went. Once he got used to the movement, he sped up, tightening down all the cargo in fifteen or twenty minutes. Only the first strap had come loose.

Wood scraped against wood. His heart beat faster, breath catching. He scanned through the truck. Nothing had moved, to his eye. "Just another bump." Palm pressed to his chest, he tried to force his heartbeat back down to something normal. "Nothing to worry about."

He sat back on his crates and wrapped himself in the air silk. Sleeping or not, he needed a barrier against the cold and, though he would never admit it, it left him feeling safer, more protected against whatever probably wasn't in the truck with him. He scanned the boxes a final time, just in case he had missed something.

Still nothing out of place. Not that Tobias could see much in the dark. He tossed the silk over his head and lay down on the crates, desperate for some semblance of sleep. He sucked in a deep breath. The silk smelled like tobacco.

He heard some kind of rustling and flipped the silk back over his head. Cerulean eyes filled his gaze. The familiar, heady scent rushed into his nostrils. "Marley."

"You sound surprised."

"A little." Marley lifted the silk and climbed in next to Toby, snuggling up so close his scent filled the cocoon. Nice to have you here. "I mean, this is an artist's wagon. It's not really the sort of thing you do."

He chuckled, hot breath cascading over Toby's back. "That's not quite true." He kissed Toby's neck, sending a chill racing along the corded muscles. "I end up in the prop wagon most nights."

"Do you?" He did his best to sound unfazed. In reality, he fought back warm, nervous laughter. "I'd think I would have noticed."

"Well, you did this time."

"So I did." Toby scooted closer, relishing in Marley's warmth. "And I'm very happy about it." He leaned his head against Marley's chest. The slight movement of the fabric wafted more of the intoxicating perfume into the space. "How much longer 'til we get to the next town, you think?"

"I'd give it an hour. Maybe a little more. If I'm any good at guessing distance." Marley pulled Tobias even closer. "You need to get some sleep, babe."

"Not if it's only an hour." He turned over and nuzzled into Marley's shirt, staring up into bright blue eyes. "I'd still be completely useless with only an hour's sleep." He yawned, and then slapped Marley across the arm. "Stop being so damn warm." The end of the sentence got muddled by a second, gaping yawn. "It's like sleeping with a space heater."

"You can't blame me for being hot. In fact, I remember you thanking me profusely on more than one occasion for it."

"Well, it's not very helpful when I'm trying to stay awake."

Marley chuckled. "Then get off."

He nestled closer in response, muttering into Marley's chest. "It's not that unbearable."

Marley wriggled his hand under Toby's chin, lifted his face, kissed him. "I figured that much."

Buy Here

Ready for this NEW Release?

Zirkua Fantastic
By: Voss Foster
188 pages / 54900 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-592-8
$6.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=75
Blurb:
Zirkua Fantastic has been running steadily since 1753, amazing its patrons with acts of otherworldly skill and prowess. But that talent comes at a steep price: each artist must give a year of his or her life to the circus. None of them know why, only that the circus' owners will go to whatever lengths are necessary to ensure it. Toby, the hoop dancer at Zirkua Fantastic and son of one of the owners, is content with his life: he enjoys performing and Zirkua's wandering life, and even has a boyfriend among the circus' hawkers. But when a new artist arrives, bringing with him a strange flask and a number of odd occurrences, Toby falls face-first into the truth behind the circus: Its contracts bind King Jester, the immortal embodiment of chaos.
Zirkua's performances and contracts have held King Jester prisoner for centuries, but now something's amiss. King Jester's sister, Dragon, has escaped her own bonds and is working to free her brother, and his power is growing. If he is loosed on the world, it will mean the worst war in human history and the end of civilization... unless Zirkua Fantastic can find a way to stop him.
Coming Next Week...


Strange Place in Time
by Alyx J. Shaw


Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

New Release Day

A Deal with the Enemy
By: Jessica Ennis
17 pages / 4200 words
$1.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_7&products_id=74
Blurb:
All-American Brenden has a crush on the weird boy at school. Brenden’s best friend Alex is also gay, so that’s not the problem. The problem is that Alex hates Brenden's crush with a fiery passion. Can he prove to Brenden that he's a good enough friend to support Brenden no matter what? The price may be more than he or Brenden are willing to pay, though, when Brenden's crush stumbles upon their deadly secret and nearly dies in the process.

Dromos: One year later.

  

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would say a year after Dromos was published. It was either too long or too short so I thought I'd show you guys where the inspiration came from. After finishing the first draft of Dromos, I knew something was missing but i didn't know what. 

  

 For years I collected cardboard rig packing not really knowing what their purpose would be until one night when I was revising the first version of Dromos. Originally it was more like a bazaar/carnival of the damned which shows up a little in the final version but I didn’t have a look for the world and I knew that as much as I love mysterious markets showing up in my stories I couldn’t rely on just that every time…and that’s when I remembered the rig packing.

What was interesting were the three pieces I had.

The cardboard used for spray rig packing is shaped in odd ways and unique with each type of rig model which set my imagination of fire. My mind had to get the rest of the way in creating the iron factory, but the earth-tone and texture still mix real well with lighting to create the illusion of a stone structure. 

A mysterious cave?

The overhang of an ancient tomb?

And now that I have a camera on my phone I can walk into a thrift store and find an alien temple on the shelf. 

The point is that you can find inspiration in lots of different places and now we have technology that allows us to photograph an idea on a whim. Who knows what I'll use this for? The point is that your eyes see more than you think and now you have gigabytes of memory that will keep it stored until you're ready to make something out of it.  

I hope to have two novels out before the end of this year. One of them will be a continuation of Dromos. I kept hearing from people that read it and how they wanted more. If it does publish, this one will be gigantic in comparison. Hopefully I'll have more information soon along with news about the current novel I'm submitting for publication. Until then, remember if you have a camera on your phone, look around once in a while and use it for more than just a selfie.  

Author Extra: The Second Mango by Shira Glassman

The Second Mango by Shira Glassman

Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of the tropical land of
Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she's also coping
with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an
unknown reason. Not to mention, she's the victim of severe digestive
problems that everybody think she's faking. When she meets Rivka, an
athletic and assertive warrior from the north who wears a mask and pretends
to be a man, she finds the source of strength she needs so desperately.

Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that's okay -- Shulamit needs
a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if
the warrior's willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her
dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The
real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search
for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they
discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.

buy link:
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=3964

Author Extra:

Gluten-free Tropical Summer Sides, such as Her Majesty might enjoy
(Tomatoes on the vine are often abbreviated TOV, which, irrelevantly, means
'good' in Hebrew!)

Wheat-free Tabouleh Salad
Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa
1 bunch curly parsley
2 small tomatoes-on-the-vine
¼ cup red onion, diced
1 baby hothouse cucumber (or ½ cup conventional cucumber, cored)
2 lemons
Olive oil, salt, and black pepper

Rinse quinoa to remove naturally-occurring bitter component. Add 1 cup of
water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until quinoa has soaked up all
the water. Refrigerate so that warm quinoa doesn't cook the rest of the raw
vegetables.

Discarding stems, chop parsley, tomatoes, and cucumber. Add red onion and,
once it has cooled, the quinoa. Mix in the juice of both lemons, carefully
retrieving all seeds. Add olive oil, black pepper, and salt to taste. Let
sit in refrigeration in sealed container so the flavors can mingle.


Bright Colors, Bright Flavors
1 Haas avocado, firm but will give way slightly when squeezed—if you can
sink your fingers into it and it feels like guacamole wearing a leather
shoe, it's too far gone
2 small tomatoes-on-the-vine
1 mango, cv. Tommy Atkins, or 2 mangoes, the smaller yellow variety
1 lime

Peel avocado and remove pit. Peel mango using carrot scraper and cut as much
of the flesh away from the pit as possible. Remove stems from tomatoes.

Cut all fruit into bite-sized chunks and liberally coat with lime juice.

New Fantasy Release from Shira Glassman

The Second Mango
By: Shira Glassman
165 pages / 46600 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-519-5
$5.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=72
Blurb:
Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of the tropical land of Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she's also coping with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an unknown reason. Not to mention, she's the victim of severe digestive problems that everybody think she's faking. When she meets Rivka, an athletic and assertive warrior from the north who wears a mask and pretends to be a man, she finds the source of strength she needs so desperately.
Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that's okay -- Shulamit needs a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if the warrior's willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.

New Release Day

Hey y'all, we're running the following coupons this week:

Ready to return to school? Use coupon code "bts2013" to get 20% off at shop.prizmbooks.com til Friday at midnight!

Summer's almost over! Use coupon code "endofsummer" to get 20% off at torquerebooks.com Thursday til Sunday at midnight!
So come enjoy some shopping!


Tyler Buckspan
By: Jere M. Fishback
182 pages / 46700 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-515-7
$5.99
Edgy Young Adult
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=71
Blurb:
Fifteen-year-old Tyler Buckspan lives with his mom and grandmother in 1960s Cassadaga, a Florida community where spiritual “mediums” ply their trade. The mediums--Tyler’s grandmother among them--read palms and tarot cards, conduct seances and speak with the dead. Tyler’s a loner, a bookish boy with few interests, until his half-brother Devin, nineteen and a convicted arsonist, comes to live in Tyler’s home.
For years, Tyler has ignored his attraction to other boys. But with Devin in the house, Tyler can't deny his urges any longer. He falls hopelessly in love with his miscreant half-brother, and with the sport of basketball, once Devin teaches Tyler the finer points of the game. In a time when love between men was forbidden, even criminalized, can Tyler find the love he needs from another boy? And is Devin a person to be trusted? Is he truly clairvoyant, or simply a con artist playing Tyler and others for fools? What does Devin really know about a local murder? And can Tyler trust his own psychic twinges?
Coming Next Week...

The Second Mango
by Shira Glassman
It's hard to find a girlfriend when you don't know any other lesbians, so the young, nerdy Queen Shulamit hires the legendary warrior Rivka to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other girls like her. But the simple quest quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.
Genre: Edgy Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT, Adventure, Romance

New Release Day

New This Week from Prizm Books...

Just for Kicks
By: Racheal Renwick
225 pages / 64000 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-501-0
$6.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=70
Blurb:
Non GLBT
Meriwether Brookes is doomed to be an orphan forever. Fate has other plans for her, however, when she’s swept away in the middle of the night by a girl who can fly. Pulled along on an impossible adventure, Meri soars into the world of superheroes, discovering her own Super genes along the way.
After a magic ritual transforms her into a Super, Meri learns that her parents’ murderer is planning to bring Doomsday about, and the Supers need her to help stop him. Spurred forward by an all-consuming need for vengeance, Meri ditches her selfish ways to become the one thing she loathes most: a hero.
With the help of her Super friends, Meri tries to figure out how her ability to see spirits can help defeat the soul-sucking villain. But when she comes face to face with him, a grave secret is revealed, and she must decide which is more important: revenge for her parents’ death, or saving the human race.

New Release from Foxglove Lee & Coming Soon

New This Week from Prizm Books...

I Know What Gay Is
By: Foxglove Lee
15 pages / 4000 words
$1.99
Buy Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=68
Blurb:
When the couple next door asks Jay to babysit, he can't help wondering… why him? Did they hire Jay as some kind of queer role model because they suspect little Sarah is gay?
At the park, when Sarah and Jay run across the guy he's been pseudo-stalking, Sarah insists she’s a boy. Darien’s sheer sexiness makes Jay pretty brain-dead, and he can't think what to talk about except how Sarah wants everyone to call her Frank.  The funny kid reminds Darien of his transgender cousin.  Could Sarah be trans, too? Should Jay talk to her parents?  What if they say it's none of his business? What if they fire him?
Well, then he'll just have to spend his summer watching Darien work in the park, sweaty and shirtless...
Coming Next Week...

Just for Kicks
by Rachael Kenwick
Pulled along on an impossible adventure, Meriwether Brookes discovers her true identity and soars into the world of superheroes. But when she comes face to face with a soul-sucking supervillain, a grave secret is revealed and she must decide which is more important: revenge for her parents’ death, or saving the human race.
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superhero/Comic Adventure

Refrigeration Blues by Richard Natale

larger image

Refrigeration Blues

$2.49

When you have the perfect lover and he’s suddenly taken from you, what’s the point of going on?  I mean, really. Might as well go out in a blaze of glory, or in this case, a chill of glory.  Of course, something could go wrong, and in Matthew Robins’ case, it almost always does.

by Richard Natale
Pages: 19 / Words: 5500
Genre: Prizm Pinch, Contemporary, Drama, Romance
Age Rating: New Adult

Need a quick romantic short story?

Review Round-Up May 11 - July 2013

Enjoy our latest Review Round-Up. As always if you have additional reviews we have not listed please send them to kristi@torquerepress.com or add them in the comment section.


Reviews by Jessewave

My Life as a Myth by Huston Piner 


Rarely Dusty Books

Monster Town by Dakota Chase 


Long and Short Reviews

Bittersweet by Dallas Coleman 
Shel's Moor by Jessica Ennis 



Goodreads Review by Jeff Erno

My Life as a Myth by Huston Piner 


Fallen Angel Reviews

Don't Ask by Laura Hughes 
Dreamcatcher by Iyana Jenna