Now Available: Rainbow Nightmares

My latest book is now available on the Kindle Store. Only 99 cents!

Rainbow Nightmares is a collection of 13 short stories featuring LGBTQ+ protagonists. The stories span genres such as horror, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and superhero.

Short stories included in the anthology:
Escapism – Four people get trapped in a never-ending escape room.
Survivors – After a mysterious apocalypse, a woman searches for other survivors.
Third Shift – An office worker discovers that their workplace is still occupied after hours.
Forever Home – A kitten must defend her new home from a fearsome spirit.
Dixieland – Tiny flying creatures swarm across the globe, leaving few alive.
Telethon – A supervillain tortures his arch enemy on live TV.
Social Cues – A woman’s inability to relate to others may be the key to saving the world.
Ray’s Personal Blog – Odd things begin happening after a man starts rereading his childhood comic books.
Traveler – A dimension-hopping, body-swapping traveler has to stay inconspicuous in their new surroundings.
Justice – A superhero and a villain face off in a museum.
Mutiny – After a breakout aboard a prison ship, a former prisoner attempts to keep control of the vessel.
The Preservers – As the Earth burns in fire, a race of aliens rescue a portion of the human population.
Salvage – A cleanup crew must explore an abandoned spacecraft. But is it as empty as it seems?

Q&A: Geek Cutes

What is Geek Cutes?

Geek Cutes is a collection of 8 short love stories. Most of the protagonists are lesbians, some of whom are cisgender, while others are transgender. The stories span a variety of genres, including sci-fi, horror, superhero, and fantasy. The stories aren’t very deep, and mostly cover the early stages of the relationship. Therefore, they’re “Meet Cutes,” but for geeks, hence “Geek Cutes.” While the stories do contain some sexual situations, they are not explicit.

What stories does this collection contain?

(Key: TW=Trans Woman, CW=Cis Woman, TM=Trans Man)

Dungeon Therapy (CW/CW): A couple meets while playing an online RPG.

Gilded Cage (CW/TW): A teenage girl is locked in her room by bigoted parents.

Mother’s Day (CW/CW): A cop and an occultist must solve a murder together.

Fairy Dust (CW/TM): A fey kingdom is attacked by dragons.

Hero Worship (CW/CW): A woman falls in love with a superhero.

Think Tank (CW/TW): A deity gives the world an ultimatum.

Strangers in the Void (CW/CW): Two women meet during a power outage in a space station.

Vigilante (TW/TW): A masked woman fights crime in the streets.

 

Are there any content warnings I should be aware of before reading the book?

The story “Mother’s Day” contains a scene of horror that might be scary for some. “Hero Worship” has a scene involving a mass shooting. Some religious people might find “Think Tank” to be blasphemous. “Vigilante” contains a bit of violence, as well as mentions of suicide.

What inspired you to write this collection?

When I wrote the Bloodhunters series, I went to great lengths to use up any and all old notes I had, finishing incomplete stories and expanding on old ideas. However, some of those ideas just didn’t fit in the Bloodhunters universe. Some only worked in modern day, or involved magic and other supernatural concepts. I didn’t know where else to put these short stories, so I decided to release them in their own collection. Of course, while polishing off those stories, I kept coming up with ideas for new ones, so I had to write those as well.

What is your favorite story from Geek Cutes?

Probably Fairy Dust. I loved putting the mythology together. I wouldn’t mind writing more stories in this universe.

What is your least favorite story from Geek Cutes?

Vigilante. I don’t think it’s a bad story, but next to the other stories in this volume, it feels a little dull. As I explain in the author’s notes, it was originally going to go in a more “comic bookish” direction, but I decided to give it a more down-to-earth ending instead. Did I make the right call? You read it and let me know.

What’s your favorite line in the book?

“That implies the existence of a sour Jesus.” (Think Tank)

What challenges did you face when writing the book?

“Fairy Dust,” “Think Tank,” and “Vigilante” expanded on short stories I’d written years before, and it’s always difficult to recapture a story’s vibe after such a long break. Sometimes it’s pretty obvious where the break occurs, as the rest of the story almost feels like it was written by a different author. A challenge to you: When you read these three stories, see if you can guess where the break was.

Who designed your cover?

I designed and photographed it myself. My wife is a resin crafter, and she made the dice.

 

Is this a standalone collection, or part of a series?

It’s a bug hunt. Oh, sorry, I misread the question. This is a standalone collection. You do not need to read anything else first. One of the stories takes place in the same universe as Bloodhunters, but it doesn’t connect to those stories in any way. One of the stories has a sequel in Rainbow Nightmares, so if you’re going to read both, read Geek Cutes first.

Where can I buy this book?

It’s available on Amazon and several other e-retailers.

I have more questions.

Great! Check out my FAQ and see if I answer it there. If not, feel free to contact me on social media.

Q&A: What's On That Character Sheet?

Geek Cutes Cover

This is in regards to the cover of Geek Cutes. The scene on the cover refers to the first story in the anthology, "Dungeon Therapy." The character sheet is meant to represent the Dwarf Fighter that Rita (the main character) plays in the tabletop game, "Blaggards & Blades." 

In creating the cover, I designed an entire character sheet and filled it out, because I wasn't sure how much of it would end up showing up on the cover. I wanted to make a generic-looking character sheet that wouldn't infringe on any specific game's copyright. I only made it half-size because I knew I wasn't going to show the entire thing.

For stats, I went with Brains (INT+WIS), Brawn (STR+CON), and Style (DEX+CHA). I've always wanted to write a simple RPG using these stats. I use similar system in the Bloodhunters RPG (which is a work in progress), but that system only uses 6-sided dice, while the fictional "Blaggards & Blades" uses a more traditional set of fantasy dice.

Below is a close-up of the character sheet. I can't say it really looks playable. The selection of skills is particularly odd. But for a book cover, it does its job.

Now Available: Geek Cutes

My latest book is now available on Amazon and Other E-Retailers. Only 99 cents!

Geek Cutes is a collection of eight light-hearted short stories, spanning a variety of genres, with a focus on lesbians and trans women.

Stories included in this anthology:
Dungeon Therapy: Two women meet over an online tabletop RPG.
Gilded Cage: A young tech expert is locked in her room by her homophobic parents.
Mother's Day: A cop teams up with an occult expert to track down an otherworldly monster.
Fairy Dust: In a war between fairies and dragons, one pixie must embrace her destiny.
Hero Worship: A woman goes on a blind date with a superhero, but is it safer to stay single?
Think Tank: A team of scholars struggle to break a divine code, racing against the most serious of all deadlines.
Strangers in the Void: When the power goes out on a space station, two strangers work together to find the cause.
Vigilante: In a neighborhood riddled with violent crime, a masked hero protects women from the local gangs.

Also, I'm pleased to announce my upcoming project, Rainbow Nightmares. It's going to be a collection of thirteen horror-themed short stories, focusing on LGBTQIA+ protagonists. I expect it to be finished in about three months.

Coming Soon: Geek Cutes

 

Geek Cutes is a collection of short love stories with lesbian/transgender themes. Each story takes place in a different geeky genre, such as superhero, horror, and fantasy. The stories aren't very deep, and are more of "Meet Cutes" than serious love stories. I should have it finished in a couple of months.