OUT NOW! A Treat at the Theater by Feral Sephrian
Asher knows exactly what his boyfriend Eric wants for his birthday. Eric has a public sex kink, so Asher takes him out on a date to the movies. However, they’re not going there to watch anything. They’re going to sneak out and have their own fun.
Despite all the risks involved, Asher would do anything to let Eric knows he cares and give him the best birthday surprise he could hope for.
OUT NOW! #IceCreamSundae by Feral Sephrian
Tourist season at Lake Wallenpaupack means a break in the monotony of Alexi’s life. They’ve been secretly advertising the ice cream parlor they work at through the Foodspotting app, hoping that will bring even more customers. One such customer is Eli, a recent addition to the area with a bright and open disposition that Alexi is drawn to immediately. And since Eli is demisexual, Alexi welcomes him into their friend group of other queer twenty-somethings.
The more Alexi gets to know Eli, the more smitten they are. If only they didn’t have crippling self-esteem issues, problems at home with their dad, and enough emotional baggage to fill a freight train. They’re desperate to get out of that rut so they can have space in their heart for someone like Eli. After years of playing a passive role, making the first steps towards change might prove too much for them.
OUT NOW! A Faire Distance Apart by Feral Sephrian
Wes and Carlo are celebrating their fifth anniversary, but rather than spending the day at the Pennsylvania Renn Faire where they met and worked together, they have to be at home eighty miles apart from each other. So close, yet so far. Add in some technical difficulties and it’s definitely not the spectacular dinner and a movie they wanted it to be.
Neither is happy with the situation, but they both agree that continuing their quarantine is for the best, even if the Renn Faire is reopening without them. It’s tough, but they’re willing to make the sacrifice until it’s safe to be together again.
Beyond Billionaires and Barkeepers: Choosing a Career for Your Character
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question most people hear when they’re younger, but chances are you meet your characters after they’ve already made that choice. Whether they’re in college studying towards their dream career or they’ve been stuck in the same deadbeat job for years and they’re aching for something new in their lives, they still have to earn money somehow. But how do you, their creator, decide what job to give them?
First, consider the location. If your character lives in a major city they’re going to need a job that can pay their rent, or possibly two jobs. A part time job as a cashier won’t cut it. Likewise if they live in a small town they aren’t going to work in a high rise office building unless they’ve got one hell of a commute. If they live where it snows they might have a job trimming trees so their branches don’t knock out power lines during storms, or if they live where it’s hot they might install and repair air conditioners.
Next, what job fits your characters’ personalities? Are they good with their hands and like working with tools? Then they might be an electrician, or a mechanic, or they hand-carve custom furniture. Are they kind and patient and like helping people? Then they might be a social worker or a caretaker at a nursing home. Or maybe they’re looking to turn their favorite hobby into a career, and it just so happens that their love interest can help them do that.
Speaking of which, another factor is plot convenience. Your characters could work in similar fields and that’s how they meet, or one or both partners could work irregular hours that make scheduling date night nearly impossible so they have to get creative, or on the other hand one or both of them could work from home so they spend almost too much time with each other. Or maybe one of the characters is embarrassed about what kind of work they do so they lie to their love interest and the dishonesty exacerbates or creates conflict.
If you’re still stumped, look around you for inspiration. Think about, not just the places you go like the grocery store or the DMV, but those quirky shops you always pass but never visit. Someone has to work at the lamp store or the furniture rental place. The other day I saw a work van from a company that does nothing but install and repair billiard tables. Could that be the ideal job for your character? How did they get into that line of work? And how can it help them meet the love of their life?
I guess you’ll have to be the one to tell that story.
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OUT NOW! In the Eyes of Gods and Men by Feral Sephrian
Beware of Groom’thulu!
Ethan won’t let anything spoil his wedding to love-of-his-life Caleb — not the complications of a Pagan wedding, not the snarky attitudes of his relatives. But when tragedy strikes Orlando mere weeks before the wedding day, Ethan is reminded how unkind the world can be.
Portland, Oregon, is a far more open-minded place than Florida, but there’s nothing to stop a crazed conservative maniac from hearing about the gayest Paganest wedding of the year and making that a target. Despite his fears, Ethan knows he must press on, because it’s Pride season, dammit, and no one is putting Groom’thulu back in the closet.
Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, Love Is Proud.
