Let go of the mundane and escape reality with four tales of strange, wonderful magic by up-and-coming authors in the realm of queer romance.

Imaginary Creatures by Shai Porter

This short story explores the relationship between two people who meet via online fandom. Loo isn’t asking for much from life, really. Just a safe place to start over with her daughter and cat, the occasional glowing comment on her fan fiction, and maybe even a washer-dryer. Anything else...well, that would be too much to ask of the universe. So when her online friend Tribs starts looking less like a friend and more like a potential partner, all Loo’s insecurities come to the surface. Meeting in person? Online friends do that sometimes. That doesn’t mean anything, does it? Besides, who could possibly want “something more” with someone who always finds herself falling short of other people’s expectations, when everything about her seems too complicated for someone to even acknowledge, let alone build a relationship with. Anyone wanting that with someone like Loo couldn’t possibly exist.

This Feast Fit For All by Regina Jade

Here we meet Aidan, who lives out in the sticks with only his dogs and the fish in the river for company. Aidan works as underpaid adjunct faculty at the local college, and tends to be overburdened by his schedule, his students, and his demanding boss. When he notices an ad for meal preparation services, he figures anything would be better than his slapdash attempts at meals, and decides to give it a shot. He's immediately spellbound by Duncan Carter, the owner of the meal delivery service. A former doctor, Duncan seems to be capable of magic when it comes to cooking, and his willingness to understand Aidan's feelings of not belonging makes Aidan feel safer with him than he has with just about anyone before. Through his growing friendship with Duncan, Aidan learns that there is an entire world out there he has never known - and he is very much a part of it.

Blessings by Max Turner

In this heartwarming winter tale, we follow a man who has fled to the outer reaches of civilization in search of a happy life. In Chase's case, his decision to move to an isolated cabin in the mountains had to do with the intensity of his Blessing, a genetic ability that most people have. Chase can hear thoughts. It's not an unusual Blessing, but the way that it overwhelms Chase is, and the only way he feels able to live peacefully is to live alone. Then, one day, John arrives at his doorstep, and Chase can't hear a single one of his thoughts. Is it possible to find the one out in the middle of nowhere?

Come Take Me Out of This Dull World by Briony Hastings

Escape with this sweet, lighthearted tale of interspecies adoration. We are introduced to Etis, a faerie who lives mostly in the pond near a university. When Etis is interrupted in his maintenance of his pond one night by a drunken student named Sam, Etis is sure it's a one-off meeting. Sam will think back on their meeting and dismiss it as a dream. When Sam returns, Etis knows he should refuse to interact - it's law, among the fae, not to reveal themselves to humans - but he can't seem to stop himself. Sam is fascinated by Etis. They never imagined a creature like that could exist, let alone that they would feel such a deep bond with one. Sam is determined to show Etis that they can be friends - or, ideally, more than friends.

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