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History & Alternate History

NEW RELEASE: Shadows Over Milan – Edale Lane

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Shadows Over Milan

QSFer Edale Lane has a new FF alt historical book out, Night Flyer book 5: Shadows Over Milan. What happens when heroes fall? Murder strikes Milan, threatening the city’s future under an ominous shadow of war. Was it the Spanish, the Germans, the Milanese, or were darker forces at play? The city is thrust into a frenzy only the Night Flyer can quell, but can she halt the wheels of war? Maddie’s greatest fears are realized when the Night Flyer suffers a serious injury that leaves her just short of dead. Florentina suffers more than physical pain as she grapples … Read more

The History of Halloween

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Halloween - pixabay

Each year on 31 October, people dress up, go to parties, go trick-or-treating, or watch their favourite horror films to celebrate the holiday that has become known as Halloween. Today, many queer people affectionately refer to Halloween as “Gay Christmas” – and it’s not hard to see why. The holiday has allowed LGBT+ people to express themselves freely in oppressive cultures. While other annual holidays are rooted in normalcy and repetition, Halloween is the birthplace of experimentation. Halloween is the most wonderful time of the year for queer people, but many aren’t aware of its fascinating history. In fact, Halloween … Read more

HISTORY: Nine People You Probably Didn’t Know Were Queer

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public domain art

Every LGBT+ History Month, we come together to celebrate queer culture and our many achievements. But while it’s relatively easy to find icons and heroes to look up to nowadays, it can seem like there aren’t many queer figures to connect to who lived before the 20th century. In many periods of history, LGBT+ people weren’t exactly welcomed out of the closet, so it can be difficult to find openly queer idols. Fortunately, historians have done the hard work of uncovering lots of prominent figures’ sexualities, so you can have a whole new batch of people who you learned about … Read more

REVIEW: Writ in Blood – Julie Bozza

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Writ in Blood - Julie Bozza

Genre: Weird Western, Historical, Paranormal LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Pan, Bi-Romantic Reviewer: Maryann Get It On Amazon About The Book Courage. Honor. Loyalty. All fine things, but they’ve led John Ringo to kill a man. He was raised right and he knows he’s not a murderer, but otherwise he’s a mystery even to himself. Doc Holliday claims to have some insights, but Doc is too devoted to Wyatt Earp to spare much attention for the man who’s already lost his soul. Which leaves Johnny Ringo prey to the distractions of a demon. Imaginary or not, if this creature abandons him, too, … Read more

NEW RELEASE: The Featherbed Puzzle – K.L. Noone

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The Featherbed Puzzle - K.L. Noone

QSFer K.L. Noone has a new MM historical fantasy out (bi): The Featherbed Puzzle. Prince Arthur needs to get married. He’s the only heir, he’s twenty-five years old, and his mother keeps sending eligible princes and princesses his direction. Arthur’s not opposed to the idea, but so far every suitor’s been awful, and he’d like to at least like a prospective future spouse. But on one dark and stormy night, a mysterious young man in need of rescue just might be the answer Arthur’s looking for … Alan never intended to join the ranks of Prince Arthur’s suitors. After all, … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Writ in Blood – Julie Bozza

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Writ in Blood - Julie Bozza

Julie Bozza has a new queer weird western book out: Writ in Blood. And there’s a giveaway! Courage. Honor. Loyalty. All fine things, but they’ve led John Ringo to kill a man. He was raised right and he knows he’s not a murderer, but otherwise he’s a mystery even to himself. Doc Holliday claims to have some insights, but Doc is too devoted to Wyatt Earp to spare much attention for the man who’s already lost his soul. Which leaves Johnny Ringo prey to the distractions of a demon. Imaginary or not, if this creature abandons him, too, then surely … Read more

HISTORY: Greece’s Gay Warrior Army

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gay greek warrior - deposit photos

In the fourth century BC, a fearsome army named the Sacred Band of Thebes was formed, and it was made up entirely of gay couples. Lawmakers in countries across the world have been banning LGBT+ people from their militaries for more than a century, from America’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and trans military ban, to the UK’s ban on LGBT+ people in the armed forces, which was only lifted in 2000. While the US insisted during the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” that LGBT+ service members “would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order, … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Strong Wine – A.J. Demas

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Strong Wine - A.J. Demas

QSFer A.J. Demas has a new M-NB alt-historical fantasy out, Sword Dance book 3: Strong Wine. Retired soldier Damiskos and his lover Varazda have been living together in Boukos for a month, and their future is beginning to look bright. Then Damiskos receives a letter summoning him home to Pheme—where his parents are deeply in debt, his brother is being hunted by loan sharks, and an unwanted arranged marriage looms. And that’s before Damiskos is charged with murder. Fortunately, he’s not alone. Old friends are back in Pheme. And Varazda—eunuch, sword-dancer, and spy—has solved mysteries before. But saving his lover … Read more

REVIEW: Strong Wine – A.J. Demas

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Strong Wine - A.J. Demas

Genre: Alternate History, Fantasy LGBTQ+ Category: M/NB, Gender Fluid, Non-Binary, Gay, Pan Reviewer: Dan Get It On Amazon About The Book Retired soldier Damiskos and his lover Varazda have been living together in Boukos for a month, and their future is beginning to look bright. Then Damiskos receives a letter summoning him home to Pheme—where his parents are deeply in debt, his brother is being hunted by loan sharks, and an unwanted arranged marriage looms. And that’s before Damiskos is charged with murder. Fortunately, he’s not alone. Old friends are back in Pheme. And Varazda—eunuch, sword-dancer, and spy—has solved mysteries … Read more

Eye of the Beholder – C H Clepitt

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Eye of the Beholder - C H Clepitt

Genre: Fairy Tale, Historical LGBTQ+ Category: Lesbian Reviewer: Dan Get It On Amazon About The Book When pressure from his materialistic children turns Claude into a thief, it is down to his youngest daughter to set things right. Angelique agrees to take her father’s place as prisoner to what she is told is a hideous beast. Angelique soon discovers that the so called beast is nothing more than Rosalie, a princess cursed to remain trapped in a castle, unless the curse can be broken, something she assures her is impossible. Angelique does not believe in the impossible, and sets about … Read more