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