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Title: Like a Sparrow Through the Heart
Author:Aggy Bird
Genre: Fantasy/shapeshifter
URL: Fiction Index on LJ
Price: FREE
Other Information/warnings: Violence, horrible puns, explicit m/m
Summary [from the author]:
Talon the griffin is broken-hearted – so, can you really blame him for not-quite-accidentally trying to kill a guy? Flit the sparrow sure can. Now the sparrow has taken over Talon’s life, and Talon hates it. But maybe things will turn out all right. If only Flit would stop decorating the place.

My review: My dear friend, distressed moonchild, pointed this out to me, warning me not to start reading it just as I was heading to bed because I wouldn’t be able to stop. Silly me, I ignored her – and she was right.

‘Sparrow’ is huge fun – full of terrible jokes and puns, great snark between Flit, the sparrow shapeshifter (don’t worry – all sex is in human form) who works as an advice columnist, and Talon, an avian law enforcer (think of a feathered Brute Squad), whom Flit has inadvertently offended in more ways than one. Flit is sharp, witty, queeny, and prone to stabbing people with pens who upset him. Talon is thuggish, muscled, and broken-hearted over the loss of his love and best friend – a fact he blames Flit for. But Flit has won two months of personal service and residence in Talon’s house, and somehow this odd couple have to learn to get along. Talon might just kill Flit if Flit doesn’t stop trying to fix him up with blind dates though.

It’s a fast-paced tale of love and angst, and completely absorbing. And hey, free! The writing isn’t as clean as pro level, but I’ve seen less polished stuff actually published, and damn, this could be a hit if she ever tried to sell it.

Don’t miss the prequel and the first chapter of the sequel WIP, all listed on the fiction index page.

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Title: Shadow of the Templar (series)
Author: M. Chandler
Genre: Modern heist/caper
URL: Author’s Site
Price: Free (but also available as cheap print/downloads from Lulu)
Other Information/warnings: Violence, bad language, explicit m/m in short stories only
Summary: Simon Drake is a hard-arsed FBI agent, and dedicated to taking down people like Jeremy Archer, jewel thief supreme. On their first encounter, Archer comes off the winner, but thanks to Archer’s own strict code of honour, Drake has a second chance to get back what was stolen – and Archer gets a second chance to pursue his own strange fascination with his nemesis

My review:

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Title: Enlightenment
Author: Tsukizubon Saruko
Genre: Victorian historical
URL: Shousetsu Bang * Bang
Price: FREE!
Other Information/warnings: explicit m/m, period racist and homophobic attitudes
Summary:

A wealthy Victorian newspaper proprietor hires a new columnist, and gets so much more than he bargained for.

My review:

If you’re tired of seeing Asian people written offensively and stereotypically, then this intelligent, layered story will be a breath of fresh air. Wu Li, the educated, much travelled gentleman who walks into David Chamberlain’s newspaper office and demands to write a column for him about the issues affecting London Chinese is a marvellous, complicated character, challenging David’s prejudices and those of the reader.

David too, is a fantastic creation – tough, smart, decent, restrained by society’s pressures in some ways, but breaking out most forcefully in others.

Set against the events surrounding Oscar Wilde’s conviction for sodomy, and the millieu of London in the late Victorian age, this is another nicely sharp piece by this talented author, with wit and wry observation aplenty. Again, no sap, but much manly tenderness without overdoing the angst or the handwringing. A real gem and highly recommended.

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Title: Always Someone Better
Author: Tsukizubon Saruko
Genre: College/football/contemporary
URL: Shousetsu Bang*Bang no.16
Price: FREE!
Other Information/warnings: explicit m/m, football
Summary:

River hates Austin for being the successful college footballer turned pro that River will never be. But hating Austin is impossible. What’s an overbright wannabe jock gonna do?

[Found through the Slash Pile community on LiveJournal]

My review:

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Title: Cheesecake and the Art of Political Warfare
Author: Sakana Sara
Genre: Political comedy/science fiction
URL: Shousetsu Bang*Bang
Price: FREE
Other Information/warnings: explicit m/m, language
Summary:

In a distant future, across hundreds of worlds, a very, very important election is taking place, with eerie similarities to, uh…well, you’ll figure it out.

My review: If the bastard daughter of Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy had a lovechild with Aaron Sorkin, its slash fandom would produce something like this. Part satire, part nail biting political plot, part truly weird love story, you will recognise more than a few echoes of real people and real events, though with an original and very funny spin.

The untold story of the election we might just have one day. Oh, yes we can Highly recommended, not least for the wonderful lead characters, Adam and Danos.

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Title: Roy LeRoy and the Most Cunning Mechanical Contraption in All Creation
Author: Kit Zheng
Genre: Humor, erotica
URL: torqueresocial (a temporary home until the author can move the story to her website)
Price: Free
Other information/Warnings: Public display play, explicit sex
Summary: Roy LeRoy, the sheriff of Whistler’s Gulch, is back and this time he is pitted against Morgan the Magnificent, a snake oil salesman who is looking to take Whistler’s Gulch for a ride.
My Review:

Title: Tom and Sean
Author: Ann Somerville
Genre: m/m erotic
URL: Read the story here
Summary: Sean’s been stood up, and Tom’s lucky enough to be the one to make it up to him. It could be the beginning of something Tom wasn’t really looking for.

My Review: Well, this was fun. There’s nothing like a good, old fashioned pick up that turns into something you didn’t expect. That’s exactly what this little gem is. I was looking one night for something short and sweet to kill a few minutes, and found that, and so much more. Not a lot of plot, but that doesn’t matter. This story doesn’t pretend to be anything but PWP, and yet…

It’s the prequel to a longer piece, which I haven’t read yet, but you can bet I will. Within a few pages, the author introduces two characters; strong but gentle men looking for something out of the ordinary. Within the context of a single, very hot, sex scene, she reveals their characters through a tiny gesture here, a word, a thought, and before you know it, you’ve come to understand what has drawn her men together. And what’s going to draw me to read the longer

My Recommendation: There’s nothing here not to like. A little light D/s, some fantasies, lots of passion, and something to look forward to. Read it.

Title: Shadow of the Templar
Author: M Chandler
Genre: Crime Thriller
URL: http://mooncalf.org/sott/
Price: FREE (but also available for purchase in print)
Summary (from Author): A brilliant young FBI agent. An unpredictable international art thief. What happens next is quite possibly not what you’d expect. Shadow of the Templar is the story of Simon Drake and Jeremy Archer, two men on opposite sides of the law, and the tenuous relationship they manage to forge and maintain in the face of hopeless odds. Currently projected to be four books long, Shadow of the Templar, follows Simon and Jeremy from their first explosive meeting–to what may well be their last

My review: Sometimes you just want to sit down with a nice long book that is well written, will occupy you for hours, gives you a little tingly feeling, and leaves you feeling glad you took the time to read it. It seems like so much of the m/m fiction has to be hot sweaty sex with contrived get togethers…well you know what, I want my m/m to have plot, and plausible plot at that! Don’t get me wrong I love my hot little ebooks, but SOTT definitely soothed an itch that had been bothering me for awhile, it was great to come across a read that I could get into, connect with and stay there for hours. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys m/m but wants substance too.

Note: SOTT consists of 4 separate novel length books.

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Title: I was an alien cat toy
Author: Ann Somerville
Genre: Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
URL: Author’s Website
Price: Free
Other Information/warnings: Non-consensual sex, inter-species sex, adult themes.
Summary [from Author]: Temin crash lands on an unexplored planet and gets up front and personal with the natives – who are giant felines.

My Review:

Title: Mind Fuck (Book One of the Administration Series)
Author: Manna Francis
Genre: Dystopian future, Mystery, Romance, Crime, Science Fiction, D/s, (oh and lots of hot gay sex).
URL: Casperian Books
Price: US $15  (or you can try the story for FREE at the authors website)
Warnings: NC-17
Summary: From the byline – There are no bad guys or good guys. There are only better guys and worse guys.
My review: