QSFer Cay Fletcher has a new queer fantasy romance short story collection out (gay, lesbian, non-binary, trans): Queer Windows: Volume 2 Summer.
Summer can be bittersweet. Too short. Too hot. Full of adventures that can never last long enough. First loves. And lost ones. The second volume in the Queer Windows series brings you four new short stories led by queer characters from across the spectrum. Queer Windows gives a glance at four fantastical, queer love stories.
Camp Spinytooth
Summer camp is more fun with dragons. And a little ‘friendly’ competition.
A Silent Ballad
Being a siren without a voice doesn’t mean you can’t find your place in the world.
River at the End
As a new traverser of the otherworlds, Aysel keeps an eye on the time as she completes her errands before a final goodbye.
Star Chaser
When you wish upon a star, you expect that wish to come true. Even if it may take some time.
CAMP SPINY TOOTH Mild fantasy violence. A SILENT BALLAD Ableism, descriptions of blood/injury, violent storms. RIVER AT THE END Death. Familial Loss. STAR CHASER Mentions of parental death and pet death.
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Excerpt
The dead of summer wasn’t supposed to be freezing. But, a freak thunderstorm in combination with the high desert the canyon was located in, had created a miserably cold, wet night. At least the streaks of lightning that painted the sky gave a moment of illumination to navigate by.
Peng wiped the rain from his goggles, clinging tighter to his saddle as a growl of thunder echoed against the canyon walls. He leaned forward, against the rain and ran his fingers over the smooth scales of Hopscotch’s neck. The Grassland Green was panting as she clung to the rock wall with sharp claws.
A buzz sounded in Peng’s ear and a tiny, pink heart icon began blinking in the corner of his goggle lenses. Tapping the side of them, the spell activated to connect their communicators.
“Peng, are you in position?” Rennie’s rumbling voice crackled in his ear.
“Yeah, and soaking wet. Are we still all clear?”
“Yup. The patrols are all still on schedule.”
Hopscotch trilled, staring through the murky dark at something the naked human eye couldn’t see, “What is it, girl?”
Peng switched to the infrared setting by cycling through modes on his goggles. Three reddish-orange blobs came into view below them.
“Everything okay?”
“Shit!” Peng was already maneuvering Hopscotch into a better take-off position.
“Peng?”
“Gotta fly,” he tapped off his communicator and nudged Hopscotch’s sides. She folded in her wings and pushed off the side of the canyon putting them into a free fall. Even if his earpiece had still been connected to Rennie, the rush of wind and rain would have made it nearly impossible to hear her.
His heart found its place back in his chest when Hopscotch opened her wings, pulling them back upwards. The tip of one of her wings skimmed the surface of the overflowing river before they evened out again. Leaning forward so that he was nearly lying down, he tried to make out what the three riders ahead were on. Canyon patrol was usually done in pairs, with one councilor from each camp. Though he supposed they could be out with an extra pair of wings. Or they could be chasing someone.
The crack of lightning lit up the canyon ahead as Hopscotch twisted around a rocky outcropping. As they came around the bend, Peng squinted through the rain. They were going too fast for Peng to try and switch his goggles to another mode. The other riders had vanished. He didn’t have time to wonder where they might have gone before the feeling of weightlessness overcame him and a spotlight shifted to focus on him, tangled in a near-invisible magical net. He knew Hopscotch would be long gone down the canyon, as dragon magic naturally allowed them to fly right through nets like the one currently holding him aloft, and upside-down.
“Camper, please identify yourself and your dragon,” a stern voice said over a loudspeaker.
Lifting his goggles off, Peng sighed and tried unsuccessfully to right himself. Water streamed down his chin and into his nose.
The counselor with the loudspeaker came into view, draped in a bright orange rain slicker, “Oh, you’re a Spinytooth kid.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Peng asked, trying to look unfazed in his compromised position.
“Hey, Voller! It’s one of yours! You owe me drinks this weekend,” the orange rain slicker councilor called out.
“Aw man,” Voller dropped off their dragon’s saddle and untangled their green hood from their horns. “I owe you two drinks. That’s all.”
“Whatever, he’s yours, so you get to deal with the paperwork.”
Tilting their head sideways, Voller peered at him, “Peng? Really?”
“Can you put me down now?”
Voller made an impatient gesture with their hands, releasing the spell and Peng crashed into the mud awkwardly.
“Let me guess, Rennie’s also involved?”
“I’m not revealing anything,” Peng grumbled as he tried to squeeze muddy water out of his jacket.
“Uh-huh. Look Peng, I don’t get paid enough for this and I don’t care if it’s tradition to try to steal Umbertail’s flag. It’s still against the rules.”
“It was just some friendly competition,” Peng argued.
“In the middle of the night?”
“Of course. That’s part of the tradition.”
“Right. Well, starting tomorrow, you’re on stable duty for the remainder of the summer.”
“What? That’s not fair!”
“It’s perfectly fair. It’s part of the tradition.”
Author Bio
Cay Fletcher is a Queer author with a passion for fantasy and science fiction. Crafting rich landscapes and memorable characters in new and exciting worlds.
Living in the Portland metro area, Cay spends their free time in the garden, cooking, or making a mess, aka crafting. She spent over fifteen years volunteering at fan conventions across the US and still occasionally assists at events in the PNW. As a writer, Cay strives to create relatable queer characters, giving them the titles of hero and protagonist.
They also love to use their crafting and graphic design skills to make products such as patchwork book sleeves, TTRPG journals, stickers, bookmarks, and more. She lives with their wife Sam, their roommate, and their tuxedo cat Satsuki.
You can connect with Cay on social media or Goodreads.
Cay uses She/They pronouns.
| Author Website | https://www.cayfletcher.com/ |
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| Author Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/CayFletcherAuthor |