Question: Do any of you know the truly scary part about being seventeen?

Answer: Your brain doesn't actually know, understand or care what it can't do; and, while this sounds great in theory, in my particular case, my under-developed brain apparently didn't know I couldn't fly.

So I jumped . . .
And I plummeted . . .

And I promise you, if I somehow manage to survive this act of immature-brain-encased-in-unbelievable-stupidity, I will gladly tell you exactly how I got here.

Which, for the record, is chasing a dark-web killer through the middle of a live action role-playing game, better known as a LARP.

On a LARP introduces readers to teen coder, Sid Rubin, a smartass—and super-smart—high school kid with a strong conscience and a knack for solving problems. This high concept, frenetic ride dives into the fascinating world of interactive role-playing when Sid recognizes the photo of a murder victim during an AP field trip to a police station. What starts out as an Aha! moment soon finds Sid and her unlikely posse of friends chasing a dark web killer through the middle of a live action role playing game. Sid and the gang work to unravel a deeply encrypted mystery while simultaneously enduring pop quizzes, endless Ted Talks, teenage heartbreak, suspicious parents, cosplay, and the irresistible lure of the NYC Public Library.

Stefani Deoul is the author of the award-winning novel The Carousel. She has produced TV series such as The Dead Zone, Brave New Girl, and Haven, and was also the executive in charge of production for the series Dresden Files and Missing.

A haunting gay love story where grief becomes devotion, memory becomes myth, and a young man must choose between the ghost of his past and the truth of who he is.

With tension and heart in equal measure, Mario Elías’s Beloved Disciples is a luminous, haunting portrait of grief, devotion, and the blurred edges of memory. In a sun-bleached Caribbean town, Simón is haunted by the ghost of his lover Albi, by the weight of family, and by a faith that no longer comforts. Once bound together by whispered prayers and saltwater kisses, Simón and Albi carved a secret world from the shadows. But when Albi dies unexpectedly, that world begins to unravel.

Now, Simón finds Albi everywhere: in the rectory where they made love, in the queer sanctuaries of their found family, in the ache of things unsaid. As his estranged Catholic mother reappears with promises and expectations, Simón is torn between the love that consumes him and the version of himself he’s been running from. Past and present bleed together, memory distorts, and reality slips into something more uncertain—more sacred.

A day-in-the-life tale laced with longing, Beloved Disciples is a fevered meditation on inheritance, identity, and the desperate need to belong. For readers of Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain, Fernanda Melcho’s Hurricane Season, and André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name, this debut hums with raw beauty and tender, ruinous love.

Two girls. One celebrity crush. And a pen pal connection that just might be the real love story.

Nineteen-year-old Jay Baker is stuck. Freshly dropped out of college and floundering in her dead-end job, she’s more familiar with fictional love than the real thing—especially when it comes to her all-consuming crush on Josh Owen, the awkwardly endearing actor from the cult zombie show Undead or Alive. Nicknamed “Unrequited Love Girl” by her coworker, Jay’s convinced romance just isn’t in the cards—until she stumbles across the fanfiction account of “MrsJoshOwen.”

Enter Amber Martin: high school senior, head-over-heels Josh Owen fangirl, and the brilliant mind behind the stories that speak straight to Jay’s heart. Trapped under the weight of her family's expectations and a boyfriend who doesn’t quite understand her, Amber isn’t sure what her future holds—except that it’s probably not what everyone else is planning for her.

When Jay and Amber begin exchanging messages, their shared obsession quickly deepens into something far more real. As they open up about their fears, dreams, and everything in between, a genuine connection blossoms—one that just might turn into the kind of love they never saw coming.

At the intersection of Fangirl and She Gets the Girl, Audrey Wilson’s Dear Unrequited Love Girl is a swoony, funny, and emotionally resonant story about growing up, coming out, and discovering your person in the most unexpected way. Perfect for fans of slow-burn romance, chaotic queer crushes, and love stories written one message at a time.

Prepare for intrigue, suspense, and unforgettable twists in this groundbreaking anthology of queer crime fiction.

In 2023, crime fiction anthologies featured 517 stories across 30 titles—but shockingly, fewer than 1 percent were penned by LGBTQ+ writers. Crime Ink: Iconic (An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Famous Queer Icons) is a resounding response to this glaring disparity, offering a vibrant collection of stories by and about queer authors and characters.

Drawing inspiration from queer icons—James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde, Candy Darling, Radclyffe Hall, Babadook, Megan Rapinoe, Laverne Cox, Dolly Parton, Vita Sackville-West, and many more—these tales span the rich spectrum of crime fiction, from cozy mysteries and whodunits to noir, psychological thrillers, and police procedurals. Each story is a testament to the depth, ingenuity, and thrilling originality of queer voices in the genre.

This anthology showcases an incredible array of talent, including New York Times Best Crime Novels of 2024 honorees Margot Douaihy, Robyn Gigl, John Copenhaver, and Katrina Carrasco; Lambda Literary winners Ann Aptaker, Greg Herren, Ann McMan, and J.M. Redmann; and other celebrated writers like Cheryl Head, Penny Mickelbury, Christa Faust, Jeffrey Marks, and Kelly J. Ford. But that’s not all—this collection also includes many more decorated and emerging voices, ensuring a dynamic reading experience that is as inclusive as it is entertaining.

With a foreword by Ellen Hart and an afterword by Katherine V. Forrest, two luminaries of queer crime fiction, this anthology is more than a collection of stories—it’s a movement. Bursting with intrigue, twists, and unforgettable characters, Crime Ink: Iconic is essential reading for fans of crime fiction and anyone who craves representation in the stories they love.

One night of perfect passion years ago supercharges an epic battle between two head-strong women, each determined to get what they want in this feisty enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance.

When Molly Green’s dream career disintegrated because of an ill-advised affair with an entitled billionaire’s daughter, she fled to the ghost town near her childhood home. After years of hard work, she’s built herself a new path, one tour group and one historical book at a time. Now her life in Theia is being threatened by another bored, rich woman who likes Molly’s kisses but cannot be trusted with her heart.

Seph Milan needs a project to distract her from the fallout surrounding her divorce. She helped her husband build a tech empire and watched as he got all the credit. Now, with money that is rightfully hers, she flees California and lands in the middle of nowhere Montana determined to build something that is all her own. The quaint ghost town of Theia is the perfect place for her personal rebirth, except that the irresistible Molly Green is hellbent on stopping her.

While opposing ideas about Theia’s future pull Molly and Seph in opposite directions, their passion for each other keeps them crashing back together time and again. If you get lost in conflict of interest meets sexual attraction like Rachel Lacey’s The View from the Top and enemies-to-lovers romance in the vein of Haley Cass’ The Snowball Effect, This Means War will leave you hanging on every touch and tussle.