Wayward Ink Press has a new Anthology out that includes our very own LV Lloyd, and has three stories that are fantasies:
Suspend rational thought. Leave logic at the door. Be ready to roll your eyes and pick your jaw up from your lap.
The tales in A Likely Story donít let truth get in the way of telling a good yarn. They might push your buttons or make you laugh. They may make you scoff or spit out your coffee. You might even scratch your head in disbelief.
Whatever your reaction, the one thing they are guaranteed to do is entertain you!
Excerpt
From LV’s story:
“The magic is dying.”
The old woman’s softly spoken words sent a shiver of dread through her companions. The greybeard next to her hunched down into his cloak, as if he could protect himself from the cold truth. The silver-haired elf, oldest of them all, stared into the depths of the small fire she had conjured up only moments ago, reading the truth of the human woman’s words in the very paleness of the flames.
The three eldest councillors of Aelith were meeting in the depths of the Great Forest, a good day’s ride from the city of Fairhaven. The Scrying glade was a sacred place, normally used solely for midsummer rites, but this was an emergency. They needed somewhere safe from prying eyes and curious ears for this most crucial of meetings.
No one challenged her. The bitter truth was obvious to all of them, once it had been spoken aloud. And everyone knew exactly who was to blame.
“The King must marry and produce an heir, before it is too late. We can no longer afford this fastidious picking and choosing, this one too old, this one too young! It is beyond a joke!”
“We should never have let him choose for himself in the first place,” muttered the greybeard. “We should have insisted on his alliance with Princess Iliana as soon as her father proposed it. What matter that she was ten years his senior? She was still fertile enough, the magic strong in her! And now it is too late,” he continued sourly. “She is wed to the Vizier of Tempre. I hear they are expecting their second child.”
“No use crying over that,” reproved the old woman. “I’ll wager there are still plenty of maidens ready and willing to become his queen. Surely one of them must be suitable?”
“We can no longer leave the decision in his hands,” announced the elf firmly. “The magic has become dangerously low. If there is no heir by midsummer…. ” her voiced trailed off.
“We must decide for him,” finished the old woman. “He must marry. Before this month is out.”
“What if he refuses, again?” demanded the greybeard.
“Then—you know as well as I do. We will have to find the Challenger. We will have no choice.”
Buy Links
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QH3RJOE/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QH3RJOE/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00QH3RJOE/
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/a-likely-story/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-alikelystoryawaywardinkpublishinganthology-1693182-145.html
Stories Included
THE BIRTHDAY GIFT
Eric Gober
A sexy and mysterious stranger… A luxurious Las Vegas penthouse… And one very bizarre timepiece… It’s gonna be a birthday Nick will never forget.
A WHALE OF A TIME
Asta Idonea
An Australian surfer and a British Marine Biologist meet in the strangest of circumstances in this tale of Biblical proportions.
DUDE MAMA
Michael P. Thomas
When button-down biracial lawmaker Cassidy Uematsu meets hardscrabble fry cook Buford “Jax” Jackson, itís lust at first sight. They’re only too happy to jump into the sack, and when Jax loses his condom mid-getting-to-know-you, Cassidy urges him forward, damn the consequences. What’s the worst that can happen?
THE WITCHING HOUR
kirifox
When Jeremy was killed in service to his country, Mason lost everything. Now Jeremy is back. But is it really him? Eternity may not be just a concept.
THE GIFT
Frostina
He searched high and low in the tiny town he lived in, exasperated, sad, and desperate! He wanted something special for the two most important people in his life.
JUSTIN GAYLORD
Lily Velden & Taylin Clavelli
A Quaker with size issues. A jock without size issues. And a sex therapist who likes to solve size issues. Should be a match made in heaven.
PERFECT
jn olsen
Seeing your favorite action hero on the screen. What could be more perfect? Will’s about to find out.
CHIMERA AIR
Taylin Clavelli
An airline entirely staffed by gay people. Where there customer isnít always right.
WIZARD’S SPAWN
L.V. LLoyd
The magic in Aelith was dying. The only way to restore it was for the King to marry and produce an heir. Why was he taking so long to choose a wife?
THE LAST APPOINTMENT
Louise Lyons
Dr. Glen Wright loves his young male patients – sometimes a little too much. When handsome Martin Reynolds visits him with a rather personal problem, Glen finds he canít keep his hands to himself.