Harmon "Waz" Wazelle is a superstar on the football field. By the time he's sixteen, he knows exactly what his future will be. Redmond "Renny" Hennessey is a musical phenom. Though he's faced some tragedy, he sees a bright path ahead as well, secure in the fact he has the talent to make it happen.When a high school prank results in what feels like a bad luck curse just as Waz and Renny start to discover feelings for one another, it seems the only way to turn things around is to tak...

Cecil, son of Anna and Dr. Albert Morgan, was raised in a well-to-do neighborhood in the 1930s. Always feeling different -- separate -- from everyone around him, after college, he relocates to an Appalachian Mountain cabin.Lonely at first, Cecil spends a great deal of time talking to himself. One night, he hears a song on a breeze with a long note held for fourteen beats. As far as Cecil knows, he is alone on that side of the desolate mountain, so who is singing?He eventual...

Rocco and Ridley from David Connor's Christmas story Iced Out and Sawyer from E.F. Mulder's holiday tale Angel Wings and Bullets are finally recognized for their heroic acts. Along with Sawyer's new boyfriend Bart, they meet up with a much younger couple who not only give them valuable relationship advice, but also show them how heroes come in all different incarnations.Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, Love Is Proud

At work, August's new job as a firefighter brings opportunity to model for a beefcake calendar. At home, a no strings hookup becomes a regular thing. The new man in August's life calls himself Memo. He eventually explains it's a nickname for Guillermo, and with that also reveals something a little bit shocking.When August is excluded from the calendar for reasons objectionable to some, word spreads throughout the town, and the community becomes divided. Memo says he can't take side...

After a reenactment weekend, Goose Tucker inadvertently brings home Civil War soldier Jefferson Eaves' diary and is shocked to discover Jefferson's spirit has come along, too.Through the diary, Jefferson tells Goose about his true love, Calvin, who was a former slave who fought for the Union. With no record of Calvin's death or service found, Goose figures Jefferson might not want to cross over until Calvin receives due recognition.Jefferson also speaks of an acorn planted ...

Involved in separate accidents. Russel and Finn end up sharing a cubicle in the ER on a busy night. As the hours pass, separately and together, they face issues of life and death, human nature, addiction, perceived shortcomings, love, romance, and sexual arousal.Both men are feeling flirty and friendly at first, until they end up in a heated argument about what feature in a man is more important, his face or his body. After some time alone to think, Russel is eager to apologize for...

**"A highly original and engagingly odd book." - Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World"...wondrous...mysterious...Connor lands plenty of stimulating riffs on themes of memory, love, and loss, all in lyrical prose and suffused with surreal imagery." - Publishers WeeklyAn "indescribable marvel" (Jonathan Lethem) of a debut novel from a brilliant new voice**The sun has disappeared from the sky. No one can explain where it has gone, but ...

Sequel to Animal InstinctsHallie conjures a magical romantic reunion for her brother Hugo that takes them back in time. They locate Zane right away, and he and Hugo take off to share the special moment alone.All magic isn't good, though, and soon, when Hugo and Zane can't be found, Hallie starts to worry. She meets a young royal, Charlemagne, who speaks of his own lost love, William. When Hallie gets a read on William, she discovers he didn't leave of his own will bu...

Animal attraction is immediately evident when an adjunct professor accidentally walks into the Croton University event planner's office on Halloween. But Hugo and Zane are both hiding secrets right from the start.Hugo has a special bond with his sister Hallie. She thinks the connection between her brother and Zane is both natural and magical, and therefore goes to extreme measures to convince the pair they belong together.A year later, just before the next Halloween, Zane i...

KZ spends his nights harvesting bat guano for Crimson Nectar Farms, a local orchard growing blood oranges. One night, while in the caverns, he comes across an injured bat he takes home to nurse back to health.KZ has a second job as a model on an adult webcam site. He starts chatting with a man there, Mac, who claims they share a past. Mac likes what he sees. The more they chat, the closer he and KZ become. But insecurity grows when Mac makes a derogatory joke about KZ's other work....

Sequel to Batsh!t KZNorman is a vampire. Having spent most of his life as a bat, arms, legs, walking upright, not sleeping upside down, it all feels so new. He's been in love with KZ for six months now. As foreign as his body feels sometimes, he discovers that's nothing compared to dealing the intricacies of human emotions.KZ is a nervous wreck. He introduces Norman to his family at Thanksgiving and worries the entire time about everything from garlic in the mashed p...

Eli was going away, leaving for a year. That was the plan. With so much love for Johnny and Casey, he didn't want either of them to be alone. It was obvious they'd fallen in love with one another while Eli was gone before, even if they'd both claimed to be in love with him. So, what was Eli to do? He gave them his blessing."Orange you going to kiss?"But then Eli's plans changed, and he came home, just in time for Valentine's Day, a day that started it all with him and Johnn...