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meredith_shaynePUBLISHED FICTION
Short Fiction
TINSEL AND DUST
Blurb:
Michael Stone has returned to Burreela and has just started to settle back in and look forward to Christmas when his sister Jen rings him with a problem. His nephew Jack is convinced that Santa won't find them if they're staying in Burreela's only motel. With Michael's flat way too small to accommodate Jen and her family, he has no alternative but to take Ryan Mitchell up on an offer to let them stay at his house. After all, Ryan argues, they’re going to be there for Christmas Day anyway, so it's not much extra trouble. Though Michael is still wrestling with internal demons, the holiday will prove to Ryan that there's a core of strength and courage to Michael that few people ever see.
REASONABLE FORCE
Originally published as part of the Torquere Press anthology The Care and Feeding of Demons. Now available from JMS Books. (Note: this version is not significantly different from the anthology version; owners of the anthology need not buy it again)
Blurb:
Daniel is a demon hunter, a member of an ancient order with God-given powers sworn to protect humans from these creatures. Grieving the sudden death of his fellow hunter -- and secret lover -- David, Daniel is bent on self-destruction, craving casual, back-alley sex with strangers and plunging into danger without thought for himself or the Order brethren who come to his rescue. His antics attract the attention of more than just his Order members; the demon Korim, a warrior and an Earl of Hell, commander of demon legions and more than a match for Daniel, has his eye on the hunter, and his is an interest not easily discouraged. When circumstances throw demon and hunter together, sparks fly. Soon beating each other to a pulp becomes their favorite sport, and Daniel hasn't felt so alive since David died. When their aggression turns to lust, Korim begins to open Daniel's eyes, causing him to question the long-held beliefs that have fuelled his reckless behavior. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, Daniel finds his change in attitude may have come too late to save him.
Novellas
WHITEWATER
Whitewater, available from Dreamspinner Press as a standalone ebook, or in paperback as part of the Under the Southern Cross anthology
Blurb:
Baker Luke Henderson loves his job, and owning a bakery at Coogee Beach makes it even better. When he opens the shop before dawn, he hears the waves. When he walks along the beach after sunrise, he admires the surfers—one in particular: Cameron Brown. A chef and café owner, Cameron secretly watches Luke right back. When Luke proposes a business deal, Cameron seizes the chance to get close. But Cameron’s ideal man is physically perfect, and Luke’s awkward limp could be the flaw that fractures their romance.
Novels
METAL HEART ebook
METAL HEART paperback
Blurb:
Scott King swore off rock stardom after his band, King Phoenix, crashed and burned. Now in his forties, Scott lives a quiet life as a music producer and session guitarist. But in a box hidden in his wardrobe lie the relics of the past he left behind—a past filled with drugs, booze, and broken hearts. For sixteen years, Scott has had no contact with his former bandmates, so when he’s asked to play at a benefit gig for King Phoenix’s old sound man, his world turns upside down. A King Phoenix reunion means a run-in with Scott’s ex, Ash Walker—and sixteen years ago, believing Ash wanted to leave the band, Scott OD’d and almost died.
Since then, Scott has ruthlessly suppressed his feelings. As a result, he's completely unprepared for the impact of seeing Ash again, or for dealing with his emotions about the band’s demise. He definitely didn’t expect Ash to want to start up where they left off. Now Scott has to decide between his safe existence and the twenty-year-old love song that could cost him his sobriety—and his heart.
EQUILIBRIUM ebook
EQUILIBIRUM paperback
Blurb:
Welcome to Burreela, New South Wales. Population: more animals than humans. Although most (human) occupants are trying to get out of Burreela, the tiny town is the perfect place for veterinarian Michael Stone to break out of the bad habits that almost cost him the most meaningful part of his life: his profession.
Michael is struggling to regain his balance after hard personal losses and two years of promiscuity and drug abuse. He’s not prepared to meet Ryan Mitchell, a nice guy who won’t take no for an answer, whose patient pursuit leaves Michael less and less inclined to keep refusing. But Michael’s bad habits aren’t that far behind him. Can Michael hold himself together enough to be the man Ryan needs, or will he lose his equilibrium while trying to be man enough to hold on to the one he loves?
Out of Print
Rust Red: Galvanized; previously available at Torquere Press
FREE FICTION
These Days, an Equilibrium short
BLOKES IN LOVE: AN OZ MM MEET ANTHOLOGY
Available from Smashwords here, or All Romance ebooks here.
On October 11-13, a small group of authors, readers and reviewers met in Sydney for the first mm romance conference in the southern hemisphere: OzmmMeet2013.
To commemorate the occasion and allow others a glimpse of life down under, six of the attending authors have contributed a short story. The brief: the setting of either Australia or New Zealand must be an integral part of the story.
Given such a simple scenario, it’s amazing how the stories are similar yet different. They range in location from shearing sheds in New Zealand to Goth nightclubs in provincial Queensland. From surfers on north coast beaches to sophisticated gallery owners in the heart of Sydney. A paranormal story involving werewolves is set in the Hunter Valley while a ghost makes a startling appearance in the South Island of New Zealand.
The minor characters also reflect the diversity that can be found in these two countries from Asian cross dressers to Maori siblings and co-workers.
TRUCE
Available on the blog here, or at All Romance ebooks here.
Dave Robinson is a straightforward, no nonsense Aussie guy, who fronts a straightforward, no nonsense Aussie rock band, Spitfire. Dave has no time for the more showy members of the music scene, believing that music shouldn’t need glitz and glamour to make it good. He’s not shy about letting the media know his opinion of pretty musical peacocks, bringing himself to the attention of Zeke Starr, frontman of Australian glam rockers Lost Angels, a man who never met a pot of glitter he didn’t like.
The slanging match between Dave and Zeke has been going on for two years before Spitfire and Lost Angels are scheduled to play the summer festival circuit together, and Spitfire’s manager tries his best to rein Dave in. The singers’ first meeting proves that even the threat of death can’t make Dave keep his mouth shut, and Zeke never backs down from a challenge. With only two weeks to get past two years of public tit-for-tat, a truce between the two rockers might be more than anyone can hope for.
EYES WIDE SHUT
Originally published as part of the Torquere Press Charity Sip Blitz 2010; now available at Smashwords.
Blurb:
Adam Taylor liked working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. He didn’t even mind the tiny outback town in Western Australia where he was based. If the downside was doing the regular clinic at the Mount Keith nickel mine where his mining engineer ex-boyfriend Chris Barker worked, well, he’d coped with worse. When a visit from Chris leads to an unexpected encounter, Adam can’t help but hope for things to get back on track.
If Chris couldn’t keep away from Adam, the least he could do was make sure that his redneck workmates never found out. It was better for everyone that way. At least, that’s what he’d thought, until Adam got caught in a mine cave in and Chris thought he was dead. After that, being outed didn’t seem so important anymore. Chris just hoped he’d get a chance to tell Adam that.
TINSEL AND DUST
Blurb:
Michael Stone has returned to Burreela and has just started to settle back in and look forward to Christmas when his sister Jen rings him with a problem. His nephew Jack is convinced that Santa won't find them if they're staying in Burreela's only motel. With Michael's flat way too small to accommodate Jen and her family, he has no alternative but to take Ryan Mitchell up on an offer to let them stay at his house. After all, Ryan argues, they’re going to be there for Christmas Day anyway, so it's not much extra trouble. Though Michael is still wrestling with internal demons, the holiday will prove to Ryan that there's a core of strength and courage to Michael that few people ever see.
REASONABLE FORCE
Originally published as part of the Torquere Press anthology The Care and Feeding of Demons. Now available from JMS Books. (Note: this version is not significantly different from the anthology version; owners of the anthology need not buy it again)
Blurb:
Daniel is a demon hunter, a member of an ancient order with God-given powers sworn to protect humans from these creatures. Grieving the sudden death of his fellow hunter -- and secret lover -- David, Daniel is bent on self-destruction, craving casual, back-alley sex with strangers and plunging into danger without thought for himself or the Order brethren who come to his rescue. His antics attract the attention of more than just his Order members; the demon Korim, a warrior and an Earl of Hell, commander of demon legions and more than a match for Daniel, has his eye on the hunter, and his is an interest not easily discouraged. When circumstances throw demon and hunter together, sparks fly. Soon beating each other to a pulp becomes their favorite sport, and Daniel hasn't felt so alive since David died. When their aggression turns to lust, Korim begins to open Daniel's eyes, causing him to question the long-held beliefs that have fuelled his reckless behavior. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, Daniel finds his change in attitude may have come too late to save him.
Novellas
WHITEWATER
Whitewater, available from Dreamspinner Press as a standalone ebook, or in paperback as part of the Under the Southern Cross anthology
Blurb:
Baker Luke Henderson loves his job, and owning a bakery at Coogee Beach makes it even better. When he opens the shop before dawn, he hears the waves. When he walks along the beach after sunrise, he admires the surfers—one in particular: Cameron Brown. A chef and café owner, Cameron secretly watches Luke right back. When Luke proposes a business deal, Cameron seizes the chance to get close. But Cameron’s ideal man is physically perfect, and Luke’s awkward limp could be the flaw that fractures their romance.
Novels
METAL HEART ebook
METAL HEART paperback
Blurb:
Scott King swore off rock stardom after his band, King Phoenix, crashed and burned. Now in his forties, Scott lives a quiet life as a music producer and session guitarist. But in a box hidden in his wardrobe lie the relics of the past he left behind—a past filled with drugs, booze, and broken hearts. For sixteen years, Scott has had no contact with his former bandmates, so when he’s asked to play at a benefit gig for King Phoenix’s old sound man, his world turns upside down. A King Phoenix reunion means a run-in with Scott’s ex, Ash Walker—and sixteen years ago, believing Ash wanted to leave the band, Scott OD’d and almost died.
Since then, Scott has ruthlessly suppressed his feelings. As a result, he's completely unprepared for the impact of seeing Ash again, or for dealing with his emotions about the band’s demise. He definitely didn’t expect Ash to want to start up where they left off. Now Scott has to decide between his safe existence and the twenty-year-old love song that could cost him his sobriety—and his heart.
EQUILIBRIUM ebook
EQUILIBIRUM paperback
Blurb:
Welcome to Burreela, New South Wales. Population: more animals than humans. Although most (human) occupants are trying to get out of Burreela, the tiny town is the perfect place for veterinarian Michael Stone to break out of the bad habits that almost cost him the most meaningful part of his life: his profession.
Michael is struggling to regain his balance after hard personal losses and two years of promiscuity and drug abuse. He’s not prepared to meet Ryan Mitchell, a nice guy who won’t take no for an answer, whose patient pursuit leaves Michael less and less inclined to keep refusing. But Michael’s bad habits aren’t that far behind him. Can Michael hold himself together enough to be the man Ryan needs, or will he lose his equilibrium while trying to be man enough to hold on to the one he loves?
Out of Print
The Care and Feeding of Demons anthology from Torquere Press
Rust Red: Galvanized; previously available at Torquere Press
FREE FICTION
These Days, an Equilibrium short
BLOKES IN LOVE: AN OZ MM MEET ANTHOLOGY
Available from Smashwords here, or All Romance ebooks here.
On October 11-13, a small group of authors, readers and reviewers met in Sydney for the first mm romance conference in the southern hemisphere: OzmmMeet2013.
To commemorate the occasion and allow others a glimpse of life down under, six of the attending authors have contributed a short story. The brief: the setting of either Australia or New Zealand must be an integral part of the story.
Given such a simple scenario, it’s amazing how the stories are similar yet different. They range in location from shearing sheds in New Zealand to Goth nightclubs in provincial Queensland. From surfers on north coast beaches to sophisticated gallery owners in the heart of Sydney. A paranormal story involving werewolves is set in the Hunter Valley while a ghost makes a startling appearance in the South Island of New Zealand.
The minor characters also reflect the diversity that can be found in these two countries from Asian cross dressers to Maori siblings and co-workers.
TRUCE
Available on the blog here, or at All Romance ebooks here.
Dave Robinson is a straightforward, no nonsense Aussie guy, who fronts a straightforward, no nonsense Aussie rock band, Spitfire. Dave has no time for the more showy members of the music scene, believing that music shouldn’t need glitz and glamour to make it good. He’s not shy about letting the media know his opinion of pretty musical peacocks, bringing himself to the attention of Zeke Starr, frontman of Australian glam rockers Lost Angels, a man who never met a pot of glitter he didn’t like.
The slanging match between Dave and Zeke has been going on for two years before Spitfire and Lost Angels are scheduled to play the summer festival circuit together, and Spitfire’s manager tries his best to rein Dave in. The singers’ first meeting proves that even the threat of death can’t make Dave keep his mouth shut, and Zeke never backs down from a challenge. With only two weeks to get past two years of public tit-for-tat, a truce between the two rockers might be more than anyone can hope for.
EYES WIDE SHUT
Originally published as part of the Torquere Press Charity Sip Blitz 2010; now available at Smashwords.
Blurb:
Adam Taylor liked working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. He didn’t even mind the tiny outback town in Western Australia where he was based. If the downside was doing the regular clinic at the Mount Keith nickel mine where his mining engineer ex-boyfriend Chris Barker worked, well, he’d coped with worse. When a visit from Chris leads to an unexpected encounter, Adam can’t help but hope for things to get back on track.
If Chris couldn’t keep away from Adam, the least he could do was make sure that his redneck workmates never found out. It was better for everyone that way. At least, that’s what he’d thought, until Adam got caught in a mine cave in and Chris thought he was dead. After that, being outed didn’t seem so important anymore. Chris just hoped he’d get a chance to tell Adam that.