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History & Alternate History

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Ghost of Hillcomb Hall – Joshua Ian

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The Ghost Of Hillcomb Hall - Joshua Ian

QSFer Joshua Ian has a new MM historical/paranormal romance out, Darkly Enchanted Romance Book 2: “The Ghost Of Hillcomb Hall.” England, 1910. Landscape designer Jonas Laurence arrives at the cheerless and fog enswathed Hillcomb Hall, home to the Earl of Stanley and his family, to renovate their crumbling gardens. With a great storm crashing all around, his time is at the mercy of the house’s odd and mysterious occupants. Captivated by the hauntingly attractive portrait of Lord Stanley’s ancestor, which constantly seems to watch and taunt him, Jonas’s dreams become weird and distressing. And his waking moments are consumed by … Read more

REVIEW: Secrets of Milan – Edale Lane

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Secrets of Milan - Edale Lane

Genre: Alt History, Fantasy LGBTQ+ Category: Lesbian Reviewer: Devon Get It On Amazon About The Book The Night Flyer had brought Florentina and Madelena together but now threatens to drive them apart. While Florentina searches for a mysterious underworld organization that has attempted to murder the woman she loves, Maddie struggles to deal with the danger Florentina is courting. Her brother, Alessandro, has become the most prominent merchant of Milan, but the Night Flyer uncovers a secret so shocking it could destroy them all. Secrets of Milan is the second book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of … Read more

REVIEW: All the Right Places – Wayne Goodman

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All the Right Places - Wayne Goodman

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Romance, Historical fiction LGBTQ+ Category: Gay Reviewer: Aethena, Paranormal Romance Guild Get It On Amazon About The Book All the Right Places is a collection of short stories, most written for submission to anthologies or collections. Starting in the near future and proceeding to the near past, men interact with other men in the pursuit of love and companionship. The Review This book is a collection of short stories that take place around the world in a variety of different time periods.  From virtual reality in the future to 18th century Japan, each story conveys the challenges a gay … Read more

Viking Laid to rest for Likely “Mirror Afterlife”

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Viking Burial

Archaeologists in Norway have unearthed the 1,100-year-old grave of a Viking warrior, whose steel sword was placed in an unusual spot: on his left side. Though the sword’s sinistral position is still somewhat perplexing, one theory is that the Vikings perceived the afterlife to be a mirror image of the real world, so whoever buried this warrior may have been accounting for that, said Raymond Sauvage, the excavation’s project manager and an archaeologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) University Museum. According to that theory, the warrior would have been left-handed and worn the sword at his … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Let There Be Night – Amir Lane

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Let There Be Night - Amir Lane

QSFer Amir Lane has a new gay/non-binary historic fantasy out: “Let There Be Night.” Monsters are real. The sooner Bertholdt accepts it, the better his chances of staying alive. Four months ago, reluctant priest Bertholdt Kaufmann was charged with protecting the true identity Alois, a teenage werewolf rescued from vampires. Bertholdt believed they were safe. He couldn’t have been more wrong. During tuberculosis outbreak that casts a cloud of suspicion over everyone, he sends away his young charge to protect her as witchfinders are called to their town. The witchfinders seek to prove the illness is linked to witchcraft, evidence of … Read more

REVIEW: Striking Balance – Jeanne G’Fellers

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Striking Balance - Jeanne G'Fellers

Genre: Historical Dark Fantasy, Magic Realism LGBTQ+ Category: MC is non-binary bisexual intersex by today’s terms, other rep includes lesbian, ace, aro, gay, bi, gender-fluid, poly Reviewer: Dan Get It On Amazon About The Book An Appalachian Elementals Historical Dark Fantasy Side Tale Benjamin Schnell is the possessor of secrets he wishes he could bury beneath the rich Nolichucky river flat dirt he farms alongside his dear friend, Conall. But secrets lead to lies, lead to more secrets, and all eventually come home to roost in a bed of distrust, even on the 1779 Appalachian frontier. After Ben is injured, … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Harp and the Sea – Anne Barwell and Lou Sylvre

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The Harp and the Sea - Anne Barwell & Lou Sylvre

QSFers Anne Barwell And Lou Sylvre have a new MM historical fantasy book out: “The Harp and the Sea.” In 1605, Robbie Elliot—a Reiver and musician from the Scottish borders—nearly went to the gallows. The Witch of the Hermitage saved him with a ruse, but weeks later, she cursed him to an ethereal existence in the sea. He has seven chances to come alive, come ashore, and find true love. For over a century, Robbie’s been lost to that magic; six times love has failed. When he washes ashore on the Isle of Skye in 1745, he’s arrived at his … Read more

REVIEW: The Harp and the Sea – Anne Barwell & Lou Sylvre

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The Harp and the Sea - Anne Barwell & Lou Sylvre

Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Romance LGBTQ+ Category: Gay Reviewer: Maryann Get It On Amazon About The Book In 1605, Robbie Elliot—a Reiver and musician from the Scottish borders—nearly went to the gallows. The Witch of the Hermitage saved him with a ruse, but weeks later, she cursed him to an ethereal existence in the sea. He has seven chances to come alive, come ashore, and find true love. For over a century, Robbie’s been lost to that magic; six times love has failed. When he washes ashore on the Isle of Skye in 1745, he’s arrived at his last chance at … Read more

Are You in the Market for a Vampire Slaying Kit?

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Vampire Slaying Kit

You’re in luck. Live Science has the details: Inside the box are eight compartments holding: a copy of the New Testament published in 1842; a knife with a silver blade; a percussion cap pocket pistol; pliers, crucifixes and rosary beads; a vial with a metal lid — “contents unknown;” and a small bottle containing sharks’ teeth, according to the listing. Vampire folklore and the belief in vampires can be traced to the ancient world. Indeed, burials dating to more than 1,000 years ago in Europe took safeguards to protect the living against the restless undead, with suspected vampires buried with … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Striking Balance – Jeanne G’Fellers

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Striking Balance - Jeanne G'Fellers

QSFer Jeanne G’Fellers has a new queer historical dark fantasy/magical realism book out: “Striking Balance.” And there’s a giveaway! An Appalachian Elementals Historical Dark Fantasy Side Tale. Benjamin Schnell is the possessor of secrets he wishes he could bury beneath the rich Nolichucky river flat dirt he farms alongside his dear friend, Conall. But secrets lead to lies, lead to more secrets, and all eventually come home to roost in a bed of distrust, even on the 1779 Appalachian frontier. After Ben is injured, he realizes there are odd things happening around him that others cannot see. Corner shadows take … Read more