Stories

When Matteo Romano, a straight Italian guy, convinces his best friend Adrian to pretend to be his boyfriend to keep his ex away, things get complicated fast. What starts as a harmless favor turns into late nights, lingering touches, and the kind of tension neither of them can keep pretending about.

Cory a gymnastic and Ray a football player have to room together.

They both have interesting stories to tell.

Two broken boys, one collapsing town. Garrett was the golden-boy quarterback until his knee—and his future—shattered. Now he’s a secretary in a glass box, choking on resentment. Finn is the beautiful, feral foster kid hiding self-inflicted tattoos under mechanic’s coveralls, running from a past that won’t let go. They’re supposed to hate each other. In the greasy dark of an auto garage, hate gets confused. It’s messy, brutal, and the only thing that makes either of them feel alive. But in a place where everyone’s watching, their private war might just destroy them both.

Alpha Zeta Rho .... the cockiest, all-jock frat on campus.
Known for keg stands, locker room brawls, and one secret tradition:
Every year, they pick one pledge to turn into their house toy.

Joel's day has been completely normal until he comes home to find his younger brother sitting out on the front steps. After a word of warning, his life abruptly changes when a careless mistake reveals his one secret to the rest of his family.

*Originally part of the 2023 Secret Author Contest: Secrets (Only chapter One)

In the quiet town of Oakridge, California, 13-year-old Adrian stumbles upon a hidden clearing, seeking solace from his troubled life. There, he meets Aelios, a mysterious and mesmerizing boy who seems to emerge from the night itself. Aelios is an ancient vampire, haunted by his past and on a mission to stop a deadly rebellion led by Theron, a ruthless elder. As Adrian is drawn deeper into Aelios's world of rogue vampires and ancient secrets, their friendship grows into an unbreakable bond. Together, they must face the looming threat of rebellion and the forces that seek to tear them apart.

A university dropout is brutally shoved into the concrete hell of Cradle Grove. Targeted and destitute, Kieran’s only path is scavenging and shame. Then Ben, a terrifyingly silent force, saves him from a beating. A protector? A predator? As bodies start to fall, Kieran is thrust into a savage new hierarchy, where survival means embracing the violence and dark loyalty of a world that wants to destroy him.

A story about first love, last goodbyes, and everything that still lingers in between. A new city, a new life but somehow, his ghost still follows me. Maybe this time, love won’t leave me behind.

This is a collection of very short stories, that I had written over thirty years ago, when I first started to write, and they are recollections of real events that took place on the farm where I grew up in Western Australia.

Preston aka Quokka

Brent Moran meets his first client as the county's new parole officer.