An anthology of short fiction featuring the finalist selections from the 2015 Saints + Sinners Literary Festival.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction by Andrew Holleran
• Gingerbread by Eric Andrews-Katz
• Wren’s Knell by Kristyn Dunnion
• Hustler Court by Frank Perez
• Maple Beach People by Lee Lynch
• What It Was Turned Ollie Queer by Mike Tuohy
• Femorph by James Russell
• Fat Hands by John Kane
• Days of Awe by N.S. Beranek
• Pageant Girl by Sam Hawk
• ’Til It Bleeds by Jerry Rabushka
• A Perfect Fit by Felice Picano
• Basketball Fever by Maureen Brady

When shadows fill the night, it's hard to tell friend from foe. With young to raise and her Pack under attack, Sylvan, Alpha of the wolf Weres, takes on her greatest challenge when she determines to uncover the faceless enemies known as the Shadow Lords. While her mate Drake struggles to find the link between the deadly Were fever virus and the mutation she carries, Sylvan calls upon her allies among the Vampires and Fae to defeat the secret pact of humans and Praeterns bent on destroying her and those she is bound to safeguard. Liege Jody Gates, Sylvan's ally and heir to a powerful Vampire Clan, must choose between her promise to Sylvan and her duty to Clan when she aligns her forces against the deposed Vampire Regent Francesca. If the battle to come is lost, all the Praetern species will be sentenced to exile in the shadows.

"When you love someone, there's suddenly a whole lot more to consider, to risk, to fight for."

Mackenzie "Mouse" James's life is all about firefighting. Being a firefighter fills her waking hours, leaving her too tired to think, to socialize, or to put herself out there. A large part of Sarah Macarthur's success as a doctor is due to the structure and control that she has established to help her cope when all the elements are thrown her way.

A chance encounter late one rainy night brings Mac's and Sarah's worlds together. As danger draws closer, they are tested in ways neither had ever imagined. Both must fight far more than fear—they will need to fight for the lives of those they love.

At eighteen, Emerson Rosberg was poised to become an Olympic skiing sensation. Growing up in the Adirondack ski town of Lake Henry with a world-renowned ski champion for a father gave her an edge over the competition…until the day she let her ego get the better of her and made a devastating mistake that would cost her any future in the sport. Deciding the only way to heal her shattered dreams was to run as far away from Lake Henry as possible, she settled in Los Angeles, leaving all memories of her previous life far behind. 

When her mother dies suddenly, Emerson is forced back to Lake Henry to take care of things, including the sale of The Lakeshore Inn. Her plan to get in and get out of that miserable town as quickly as possible is brought to a screeching halt when Cassie Prescott, the bubbly, friendly owner of a local sporting goods store, gets in the way. Cassie’s still cleaning up the debris from her last relationship, but she’s instantly drawn to Emerson, despite warnings from friends and family alike. 

As the cold weather closes in and Emerson and Cassie’s relationship heats up, one question keeps popping up for Emerson: can you really go home again?

Land poor, Elly leaves the family farm and heads to the big city to become something better than a waitress in a small-town diner. Though she's succumbed to economic necessity and the siren song of her one-time lover, Alex, she can't bear to give up the farm that has been in her family for generations. As much as she wants to, she can't have everything she desires, and she'll have to decide what is more important: the past or the future.

Alex has always been a daredevil, up for anything, never tying herself down to anyone. When she falls head over heels for quiet Elly, everyone's surprised, no one more than her best friend and occasional lover, Will. As things heat up between them, Elly must choose between her past and her future, and Alex is faced with a decision that will shake her to the core of all she holds dear.

When is war justified to preserve peace?

Society has evolved into one collective belief that celebrates diversity. Luxury credits are earned and spent only after the world population is fed and educated. But when catastrophic weather kills thousands and destroys crops, people begin to look for answers among ancient legends of guilt, retribution, and a vengeful deity.

Jael, seasoned commander of a latent cell of dragon horse warriors, understands what Alyssa, an alluring young priestess, doesn't—words won't be enough to quell the violent sect preying on the population's fear and hunger. As their conflicting ideologies threaten to jeopardize their mission, Alyssa and Jael realize their growing attraction and entwined destiny might be more formidable than the enemy they have been called upon to defeat.

Maya Vaughn, the hottest young pastry chef to emerge from the reality television machine, takes a turn as a judge on the very show that launched her career, expecting to find a nice change of scenery and a little diversion.

Shannon Hayes, a late bloomer at forty-two years old, is finally on the precipice of achieving her dreams. She has one shot to prove she can compete with chefs half her age and with much more experience. Engaging in a fling with a judge fourteen years her junior would almost certainly kill that chance.

Their attraction offers a taste of the exotic but could turn into a recipe for disaster.

Faye Blakemore is a photojournalist for a major New York newspaper. Faye has been taking photos since she was a small child, taught by her photographer grandfather, after spending hours in the strange blood-red light of his darkroom. Now Faye specializes in what one reviewer calls, "blood-and-guts journalism." Her first book of photos is as celebrated as it is controversial—and as harrowing.

Faye convinces her editor to send her to Afghanistan and the Congo to report on the acid burnings, the machete attacks, and the women survivors. Yet that series of assignments—each darker and more dangerous than the next—brings Faye closer to her both her own demons and to the family secrets that still haunt her and threaten to destroy her and the woman she loves.

Winner of the Lambda Literary Award (Lesbian Mystery) and the IPPY Bronze Medal (Horror).

Max Winters is comfortable in her behind-the-scenes wunderkind role on Holt Lasher's crime fighting team. Eventually, she'd like more responsibility in the field, but that only happens after Holt says you're ready. When Holt's team is asked to help bust an organized car theft ring and Whitney "Dubs" Williams is released from prison with the sole purpose of helping Holt in that pursuit, Holt turns to Max to be Dubs' minder. As in, handcuffed together, 24/7 minder of an unreformed, young, hot, cocky thief. The lines blur between legal and illegal, real and façade, the longer the two women spend together. But Max isn't willing to risk her heart for the entertainment of a criminal. In order to prove herself, Dubs has to make sure her feelings can't be misinterpreted. But will she survive her grand gesture?

Shade Stewart is a member of the Sisters of Spirits paranormal investigative group and a self-proclaimed necromancer. Renowned for leaving a trail of broken hearts, she walks between darkness and the light, searching to ease the emptiness in her spirit with women and whatever else might ease the pain. After an explosion leaves her in a coma, Shade is trapped in a place between this reality and her nightmares, fighting for her life and her soul.

Raven Sanchez, a fiery generational witch, is the newest member of SOS. Instantly attracted to Shade and the power she possesses, Raven pursues her, ignoring the darkness that surrounds her. Blinded by her desire, she uses her magic in an attempt to win Shade's heart, setting in motion forces beyond her control.

Third in the Sisters of Spirits Trilogy

Coal Davis is a horse rancher who has been raised in a family where money and power have ruled her life, and not in a good way. She has returned home after her grandparents' death to accept a new family role that she does not want. Unfortunately, that role requires her to have to deal with her father or risk the loss of a program that sick children depend upon.

Jay DiAngelo is the contractor hired to work on the home Coal Davis has inherited. With her dark hair and honey eyes, being a contractor isn't her only skill. She lives from paycheck to paycheck trying to pay off a debt that could cost her a home that is very special to her. Working in the town of Woodside is a risk, since a relative has tarnished her family name. But pride is everything to Jay, and since she'd never ask for a handout, she'd rather take the risk and chance going hungry than beg for help.

Both have a lot to lose. A relationship would be risky, but if they can overcome the obstacles keeping them apart, they could build something priceless.

Blood is thicker than pride. The final book in the Elite Operative Series brings together foes, family, and friends to start a new order.

Special Agent Switch needs to get close to Greek tycoon Konstantinos Lykourgos, the prime suspect in the theft of a priceless ancient icon from a monastery on Mount Athos. His accomplice is the EOO's recurring nemesis: Theodora Rothschild, aka TQ, the Broker.

Ariadne Lykourgos, heir to her father's shipping empire, expects to have a much-needed holiday on the family yacht with her friends. But the arrival of a new crew member challenges her values and tests her loyalties.

Will Agent Switch be strong enough to keep secrets from Ariadne, and will Ariadne be able to cope with the truth?

Deep in her drunken, womanizing past, Peg Ryan made a terrible mistake. Eighteen years later, she's sober, a respected lawyer, and in love for the first time. When she takes a call from a former colleague, the distance collapses between her ugly past and her hopeful present. Suddenly, everything she values is under attack.

When Allison Mitchell meets Peg, she knows what she wants right away. She breaks up with the woman she's dating to be with her only to discover Camille won't go away easily; she's on a mission to destroy Peg and get Allison back.

Allison and Peg's new love is threatened from all directions. How will they fight back?

Can a love of music bring two women into harmony, or will their pasts create too much discord? Guitarist Jaymi Del Harmon is battling writer's block and focusing on her band's growing success. Love is a distraction she doesn't need as she recovers from an ex-lover's betrayal and her mother's premature death. Singer Shawn Davies survives in LA in any way she can, even if it means exchanging sex for a place to sleep. She reevaluates her life when a desperate decision results in a brutal attack. Seeking a fresh start, she heads home to New Hampshire and tracks down her old friend, Jaymi.

Their passion for music blossoms into much more than either woman was expecting. Can Jaymi find it in her heart to trust again, or will Shawn's past mistakes destroy any chance of a future together?

Cassandra "Cassie" Finnsbury has spent almost twenty-five years running for her life, hiding from everyone who knew her, and hoping it was enough to keep her daughter safe. When she learns that she no longer has to run, she is determined to find Daniela again and hires private investigator Bailey Davenport, a retired FBI agent, who is more than up to the task. Bailey finds nothing more irresistible than a mystery and a challenge, and in Cassie, she finds both.

Can Bailey find the key to unlock more than just Cassie's secrets?

Within the walls of her palace, Princess Katya's best friend lies at her feet, close to death. Her pyradisté is overwhelmed by some mysterious power, and her former lady-in-waiting has stabbed her in the back. Wounded and nearly alone, Katya must find a way to sabotage the magic of her Fiendish uncle Roland, or those who fight for the capitol will be overwhelmed by hypnotized guards and Fiend-filled corpses.

Starbride's pain is nearly overwhelming. The agony inside her only lessens when she satisfies a strange new desire to hurt those around her. She may hold the key to banishing Fiendish power from Farraday, but only by using it herself. Together, Katya and Starbride must make a final desperate push to take back the kingdom, but even if they survive, can the strength of their love keep them from madness? After all, fighting evil with evil has its consequences.

Jordan Stryker's multiple sclerosis diagnosis changed her life. She left the FBI and decided to try her hand at professional poker. She's played poker for years, but no amount of practice could have prepared her for what she'd face in Las Vegas away from the tables.

Ashley Noble works security at a casino in Vegas. After a failed marriage and a disgraced exit from her position with the LAPD, she's just grateful to have a job. When Stryker shows up in her casino, Ash is forced to face the woman she had an affair with fifteen years ago and thought she'd never see again. The attraction between the two is undeniable, but Jordan keeps her distance because of her MS. When Ash decides she's ready to up the ante, she knows getting Jordan to call the bet will be damn near impossible.