Nebraska Close by R.W. Clinger

Nebraska Close by R.W. Clinger is now available in e-book format!

After retiring from his career in construction and trying to cope with the death of his wife, Isaac York experiences an infatuation for a lifelong male friend and discovers his world fills with sunflowers and a risqué transition. Isaac moves to Lake Samoy in search of a new life, to abandon his past, and to start a fresh relationship with a famous and sexy man named Nebraska Close, whom he falls head over heals for.

Nebraska Close, a professional photographer who is drawn to summer nights and a younger man’s skin, finds pleasure for a second time in his life. Unconditionally he falls for Isaac and mixes together his lust, photography of sunflowers, and homosexual longing.

Isaac's son, Nicholas, lives at Lake Samoy and doesn't understand his father's lack of interest in his mother's fatal illness. With the help of Nebraska Close, Nicholas confronts his father’s sexuality, and Isaac learns to love his son again.

Read an excerpt or buy a copy today!

Matilda & Dusti by Joshua Skye

Matilda & Dusti by Joshua Skye is now available in e-book format!

As a teenager, Matilda lost her eyesight. Since then, her best friend has been her service dog, Dusti, and they share a special bond. They can literally talk to each other.

But her psychic abilities don’t stop there. She can talk to the dead, as well, and Matilda has capitalized on her talents by becoming a spiritual advisor.

Among her clients is a fearful conspiracy theorist named Michael, who claims to have stumbled upon a terrifying secret. When he uncovers a secret society and corrupt cops who will stop at nothing to keep him quiet, he turns to Matilda for help. As she and Dusti are drawn into the web of deceit, they find themselves targets of a deadly cover-up.

Matilda & Dusti is a quirky, fast-paced little thriller from the author of The Singing Wind and The Argento.

Read an excerpt or buy a copy today!

From the Editor - Formatting Your Submission

It's a new year and our thoughts naturally turn to new submissions. Each Friday, we'll post a blog entry on what our submission editors would like to see in our inboxes.

Formatting Your Submission

The way a submission is presented tells us a lot about the author. Just think about it: if the submission contains a query letter, synopsis, and excerpt, in a professional-looking font and layout, we naturally feel this person made an effort with the submission. It conveys respect, both for their own work and for the publisher's requirements.

A large part of the journey with a publisher is handling edits, writing blurbs of varying lengths, and interacting with potential readers. Professionalism is crucial.

As for genre, we take stories with queer, straight, or anything in between, but some areas are simply no-go. Like incest. Scat. Bestiality. The reason for this is quite simple. J.M. Snyder has moral objections to those kinds of stories, end of discussion. It's her press, so she publishes what she likes.

When we get a submission containing material the submission requirements clearly state we don't take, it tells us the author didn't bother to read the guidelines. It suggests someone who blindly sent in a submission to any publisher, not necessarily one they want to work with or one whose press will be a good fit for their book. The ability to follow simple submission requirements tells us whether the working relationship with the author will be a pleasure or a pain. Faulty submission format does not automatically determine an accept or reject, but it is definitely noted by the editor.

Submit a story to us today!

Elliot Arthur Cross on The Keysmith

Guest post by Elliot Arthur Cross

As a child of the 1980's, I find a certain nostalgic inspiration from '80s cinema. The Keysmith is my ode to the slasher movies of the period. There's a fun atmosphere found in those cheesy horror movies. Although set in modern times with gay characters, there are certain beats and themes I included to give it a slasher feel.

I also appreciate supernatural stories in which there are rules. I hate omnipotent killers, be they human, zombie, spiritual, or otherwise. Freddy gets you in your sleep. Michael Myers attacks you on Halloween. Jason stalks campgrounds. But lately there's been an infusion of The Grudge style paranormal stories in which the ghost just appears anywhere and can do anything. Without getting spoilery, I made sure to set up a rule in The Keysmith and stick to it.

Horror flicks in the '80's also taught moral lessons. Sex equals death. Drugs equals death. So of course I set up my tale with two twenty year olds heading to a stud's house to sell drugs and score. You just know that's not going to end well.

And once I succeeded in what I'd set out to establish, I realized that the story was only partially over. I was already envisioning what happens next and suddenly The Keysmith grew in size and scope on its own. I'm a major proponent of letting characters surprise authors. Sometimes I shut the laptop, close my eyes, and watch the story progress on its own before typing again.

In writing The Keysmith, I tapped into the anxiety I feel after watching an effective horror movie on a lonely summer night. What is that noise coming from upstairs? What if you're not really alone? What if there's someone on the other side of your bedroom door?

Elliot Arthur Cross
elliotarthurtcross.wordpress.com
elliotarthurcross.com

The Keysmith by Elliot Arthur Cross

The Keysmith by Elliot Arthur Cross is now available in e-book format!

Gabe just wants to spend his Saturday night playing video games and drinking, until he's pressured by his wild friend Jason into chilling with Brad, a mostly-straight hunk they both know who's looking to buy some pot. Gabe reluctantly drives Jason to Brad's apartment, where he immediately feels ill at ease.

Brad only makes things worse by informing Gabe of the brutal murders committed years ago in his apartment. The hunk tells the guys about a keysmith who made copies of keys from all around the city and then let himself into homes to murder families while they slept. It's the reason Brad's apartment is so cheap.

While Jason sells Brad pot and gets him in the mood to screw around, Gabe is left alone in the creepy apartment. He hears little girls laughing in the attic and thumping at the windows. Maybe it's just the drinks and drugs playing games on him, or maybe the Keysmith has returned for more victims.

Read an excerpt or buy a copy today!