Arden Powell

Small-town Louisiana, 1935.When Eugene was twelve, a girl from town disappeared. Everyone said the gators must have got her when she strayed too near the bayou. No foul play, just a terrible accident. But Eugene can't shake the conviction that Mary Beth's death had something to do with the man who used to haunt her--the man no one else could see.Now, nearly two decades later, there are more dangerous things than gators in Chanlarivyè. People are disappearing again, and this time, no one can find the bodies. As the town's unease grows, charismatic fugitive Johnny Walker arrives on the scene, shedding bullet casings and stolen bank notes in his wake. He tangles himself up in Eugene's life and awakens memories Eugene thought he had laid to rest years ago. Memories of the mysterious man who followed Eugene into his dreams, and memories of the bayou--and of the horrifying entity that lurks beneath the water's surface, slowly seeping into the town like a stain.

The Bayou

Alphonse Hollyhock is blessed with wealth, class, and more beauty than brains. Though he hasn't got a lick of wit or magic to his name, he's perfectly content living life as an airheaded bachelor with his valet-the clever, unflappable Jacobi-by his side to ensure everything runs smoothly. All he lacks, according to his mother, is a wife. Despite Alphonse's protests, he's to marry Aaliyah Kaddour: a bright, headstrong young woman who would probably be charming company if she didn't threaten everything about Alphonse's way of life. Marrying means giving up his fashionable flat, his fast car, and, worst of all, it means losing Jacobi. Perhaps most distressingly, this talk of marriage is bringing all sorts of confusing feelings to the forefront. Because rather than falling for the beautiful girl being pushed into his arms, Alphonse seems to be falling for his valet. Except a man can't fall in love with another man. Can he? Meanwhile, Aaliyah has plans of her own. She's as devious as she is pretty, but if Alphonse wants to get through this marriage business in one piece, he'll have to trust her. Her and Jacobi, and, most dangerously, his own feelings. The Bachelor's Valet is a novel in the Flos Magicae series, a collection of queer romances set in an alternate 1920s universe with magic. All the stories are standalones and can be read in any order.

The Bachelor's Valet

England, 1810. The north is governed by a single rule. Faerie will take as it pleases. William Loxley is cursed. A pale and monstrous creature haunts his dreams, luring him from London to the desolate, grey landscape of his forgotten childhood. There, it will use him to open a door to Faerie-a fate that will trap Loxley in that glittering, heathen otherworld forever. His only hope of escaping the creature's grasp lies with John Thorncress, a dark and windswept stranger met on the moors. The longer Loxley stays in Thorncress' company, the harder it becomes to fight his attraction to the man. Such attraction can only end in heartbreak-or the noose. But Thorncress has his own bleak ties to Faerie. They come creeping in with the frost, their howls carrying on the winter wind. If Thorncress' past catches up with him before they can break the curse, then Loxley will not only lose his soul. He'll lose Thorncress, too. "Beautifully creepy and eerily magical, with a bittersweet romance that I loved." - Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled and Masks and Shadows.

The Faerie Hounds of York

Obsidian Island

A Thief and a Gentleman is part of a series of standalone queer romances set in a 1920s universe infused with magic. / / / 

Sebastian is a con artist with expensive taste. Unfortunately, he has no hope of living the high-class life he craves without stealing it. So, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. He might be a pathetic ex-convict by day, but by night, he’s London’s most notorious jewel thief. All he needs is someone to provide him with food, money, and a place to stay while he plans the heist that will secure his future once and for all. . . 

When a friend dares him to seduce Morgan Hollyhock—rich, handsome, and incredibly boring—Sebastian thinks he’s found the perfect mark. There’s just one problem. He and Morgan have history, and he’s unprepared for the flood of emotions when he sees Morgan again for the first time in twenty years. . . 

For once, Sebastian wants to be honest about who he is and what he’s done. But Morgan has always been a stickler for the rules. If Sebastian opens up about his crimes or his past, Morgan might turn him in, or worse, reject him. And that won't just jeopardize Sebastian's criminal career. After a lifetime of cheating and lying, Sebastian is appalled to realize that he does in fact have a heart to break.

Flos Magicae #6

A Thief and A Gentleman

The Solstice Cabin

The Botanist's Apprentice

When Kris Golding leaves his dusty Kansas hometown for a fresh start in New York, he thinks an apartment and a job are waiting for him. But when he finds neither, rather than admit defeat, he takes his chances busking-and meets Rayne Bakshi of international rock band The Chokecherries. Rayne needs a new guitarist, and gives Kris his first break since leaving home. Rayne wears makeup and glitter and thinks nothing of kissing Kris in front of twenty thousand screaming fans for the attention. Instantly infatuated, Kris begins to question whether he might have a crush on Rayne-could he be bisexual? But since Kris originally claimed to be straight, Rayne's wary of getting involved offstage. As their tour gains momentum, Kris's sexuality becomes the least of his troubles. Between his conservative brother hell-bent on "rescuing" him from his life of debauchery, a peacock that may or may not be the avatar of a cult god, and a publicity stunt that threatens to upend the band, Kris is definitely not in Kansas anymore.

A Summer Soundtrack for Falling in Love

Winter's Dawn

Nicole Petroski

The Great Soup Parade

A dressmaker who secretly publishes thrilling romances. Her handsome war-veteran fiancé. And his best friend, a charming artist of ill-repute determined to ruin their relationship. There are two things standing between Elizabeth Turtledove and her happily-ever-after: her fiancé's best friend, who despises her, and the blackmailer scheming to steal her savings. Arthur and Coxley have been inseparable since their schooldays, and Coxley will stop at nothing to keep Arthur for himself. Although he's all bite and bad manners, Elizabeth can tell there's a better man hiding beneath that prickly exterior. As she gets to know Coxley and the depth of his friendship with Arthur, she finds another thing in the way of her happy ending. She's taken their case of mutual pining and inadvertently turned it into a love triangle. She has a plan to deal with her ridiculous blackmailer by summer's end. Unfortunately, as much as she'd like to handle this love triangle with equal efficiency, matters of the heart are rarely so simple. A Novel Arrangement is a full-length FMM novel in the Flos Magicae series, set in an alternate 1920s universe with magic. All the books are standalones and can be read in any order.

A Novel Arrangement

The storm should have killed them. The tropical paradise where they wash ashore just might. Emery Lapwing is only interested in two things: exploring the natural world, and pretending that he's not in love with his closest friend, Captain James Rawlings of The Achillean. The first is easy: James will sail him anywhere he wants to go. The second, Emery has been doing for the past ten years. Emery's routine is shattered when he and James are swept overboard in a lightning storm. When the storm passes, they find themselves on the glittering pink beach of an unmapped island where no one has ever walked before. The island seems like the perfect place to recuperate as they wait for rescue, brimming with miraculous new species to be discovered. And a thousand miles from civilization, it's all too easy for Emery to imagine kissing James. In London, it was unthinkable-a kiss between two men meant the gallows if they were caught. On the island, it means risking James' friendship when they most need each other to survive. But attraction isn't the only peril they face. The island hides a dangerous secret, and James and Emery aren't the only castaways falling under its spell. Monstrous creatures stalk their every move and something is taking root in their dreams, luring them deeper into the island's deadly, tropical heart. The island offers Emery everything he has ever dreamed of. But all dreams require a sacrifice. And the island is hungry.

What he wanted was a music career. What he needed was love. When Kris Golding leaves his dusty Kansas hometown for a fresh start in New York, he thinks an apartment and a job are waiting for him. But when he finds neither, rather than admit defeat, he takes his chances busking--and meets Rayne Bakshi of international rock band The Chokecherries. Rayne needs a new guitarist, and gives Kris his first break since leaving home. Rayne wears makeup and glitter and thinks nothing of kissing Kris in front of twenty thousand screaming fans for the attention. Instantly infatuated, Kris begins to question whether he might have a crush on Rayne--could he be bisexual? But since Kris claimed to be straight, Rayne's wary of getting involved offstage. As the tour gains momentum, Kris's sexuality becomes the least of his troubles. Between his conservative brother hell bent on "rescuing" him from his life of debauchery, a peacock that may or may not be the avatar of a cult god, and a publicity stunt that threatens to upend his routine with the band, Kris is definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Damian Serbu

Asta Idonea

Nine Stories of Lessons Outside the Classroom By Virtue Fall by Kashmira Majumdar - The rules have changed...and so have the consequences for breaking them. Striking Gold by S.A. James - Sometimes when we think we have no choice, life brings something brighter. Full Marks by Asta Idonea - When Jacob seeks out his favourite lecturer at a university reunion, will he get full marks? Lessons for a Lifetime by Hudson Lin - A second language, a first chance at love. Ms Skinner's Freshman Composition by Aila Alvina Boyd - After auditioning for a play, professor and student find themselves cast opposite each other as romantic leads. Piece of Cake by Valentine Wheeler - All Richard wanted was a nice, quiet retirement. His kids aren't going to let that happen. Professor Ghost by Damian Serbu - An otherworldly mentor might be his way out. Bare by Jack Harbon - When a passion for art turns into something more. The Botanist's Apprentice by Arden Powell - Don't get too close to the flowers.

Arden Powell

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