Summary:
Rex Devious (Dr. Devious to meddlesome do-gooders everywhere) can go toe-to-toe with superheroes without blinking an eye. So picking out a Christmas present for his new boyfriend should be no problem. After all, he and Sanjay seem perfect for each other. But with a terrible track record for finding gifts that won’t scare his potential partners away, Rex is paralyzed with insecurity. Until, of course, he decides to change tactics. Instead of having to pick out that perfect present, why not just destroy Christmas altogether? If his nemeses (or his conscience) can’t stop him first, he might just become the supervillain who stole Christmas.
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2016 Advent Calendar "Bah Humbug."
Summary:
A maximum-security supervillain prison plus a new colleague with a reputation for attracting trouble. What could possibly go wrong?
Calvin Kant is what anyone would want in a reporter—an excellent typist, a dogged investigator, and an upstanding citizen. Oh, and a superhero. At least, his alter ego, Maxim, is. Fleeing a messy situation at his last job, Cal arrives in Capital City without much direction—until fellow reporter Liang Lu sweeps him into a dangerous assignment.
A supervillain prison break leaves them trapped and in peril, with Cal juggling his growing attraction to Liang with his need to protect his secret identity. And that mess Cal’s running from could catch up with him at exactly the wrong moment, leaving him vulnerable. Luckily Liang’s got more than good looks going for him, and together the two men might just save the day—and each other—and find their own comic book romance.
Summary:
Ray seems like the perfect boyfriend—he’s gorgeous, incredibly romantic, and has a mechanical suit he invented to become the dastardly MantaRay. For Alec, who also spends his nights making life difficult for do-gooders everywhere, it’s a match made in supervillain heaven. Except that Ray is a bit too into the hit soap opera All My Werewolves. When tempers flare during what’s supposed to be a quiet night out, Alec nearly ruins everything over a stupid bet with an alien gorilla.
Desperate to prove his feelings to Ray, and with Christmas fast approaching, Alec decides the fastest way to Ray’s heart is to embrace the thing that threatens to divide them—a certain werewolf show with a certain actor who Ray admires. A simple kidnapping promises to do the trick, only fur (and fandom) fly when Alec’s romantic gesture leads to a very hairy situation. Can Alec prove to Ray how much their relationship means to him, or will his plans be ruined by the werewolf before Christmas?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2017 Advent Calendar collection Stocking Stuffers.
Now I read Charles Payseur's newest entry in this novella series, The Werewolf Before Christmas just a couple of weeks ago and it was obviously my introduction to his Spandex and Superpowers universe. I love it! I love superhero movies but I will admit that it is not a genre/trope that I read but after reading these that may change.
I think what really intrigues me most about this entry was again, we got to see the supervillain as the center of the story. Rex has not had much luck when it comes to his past relationships and Christmas gift giving so naturally, as a supervillain his solution is to stop the holiday this year instead of finding a gift for his new boyfriend, Sanjay. Apparently, that is easier said than done. I won't give anything away but let me just say this: How the Supervillain Stole Christmas was a delightfully fun, clever, sexy, and surprisingly romantic way to begin my holiday weekend. Whether you read this during the holidays won't matter because you'll be entertained whether Santa is coming down the chimney or lazying away on a weekend getaway in July.
Comic Book Romance #2
I see this as #2 in the series but I really don't know what the order is suppose to be, I am just going by the release dates and Comic Book Romance is listed as November 29 and Werewolf Before Christmas is December 1. Truth is, it doesn't really matter because each is a separate story in the Spandex and Superpowers universe, some character mentions overlap but the plots themselves are individual.
As for Comic Book Romance, well it is just as fun and unique as the two Christmas tales in the series. The obvious difference is the main character, Maxim is a superhero as opposed to the supervillains of the other two. But once again, I was completely bowled over by the cleverness and levity that is not often found in a genre that is about good vs. evil. Can't think of anything more to say without giving away the plot so I'll just end with this: brilliantly clever and intriguingly fun that will brighten your day, and that is never a bad thing.
The Werewolf Before Christmas #3
Original Review December 21, 2017:
I've got to start by saying that if you are looking for something a little different for your holiday reading than The Werewolf Before Christmas is definitely worth reading. With superhero/villain movies and comic books popping up everywhere and being the latest craze, it only seems fitting that we get one in our Christmas novella shelves. But don't think Werewolf is your typical superhero story because its not, the author doesn't really give us superheroes but the villains instead and not the evil garden variety type that has become commonplace in Hollywood. No, MantaRay and Alec Azam(which I'm adult enough to admit it took me a few minutes to get the full effect of the name) are fun villains and even though he's pushed into by fellow baddie, GorillaLord, Alec is determined to prove to Ray how important he is to him with a huge Christmas stunt. Throw in the hit soap, All My Werewolves and Ray's favorite actor from the show and Alec thinks he found the perfect stunt to prove his heart to Ray.HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!(Or should I say HOLY HANNAH MANTARAY!) Talk about a delightful holiday ditty. As I'm writing this I just discovered that The Werewolf Before Christmas is actually the third Superhero/Villain story in the author's series Spandex and Superpowers. I guess I have to go back and read the first two because this universe that Charles Payseur has created is fun, intriguing, and just plain old-fashioned entertainment with just the right amount of lusty WOW to get the adrenaline pumping. So whether you are looking for something different or not I highly recommend Werewolf because its brilliantly entertaining that left me smiling from beginning to end.
RATING:
How the Supervillain Stole Christmas #1
REX’S FOOT tapped as he waited for the server to bring out their meal. Across from him, Sanjay gave a nervous smile.
“So this is where you… live?” Sanjay asked, casually sweeping around the massive room with his hand.
“What? Oh, yes,” Rex said, still scanning for the server. “And really, it normally doesn’t take so long. It’s just that they’re not used to cooking for anyone but me, and—”
“It’s fine,” Sanj said, “really. I’m not used to being waited on. Do you always eat here?”
“When work doesn’t take me away,” Rex said. “It’s just cozy, don’t you think?”
“Cozy… yeah…,” Sanj said. “Definitely an amazing view. You’re sure that it’s safe?”
“Completely,” Rex said, and he finally caught sight of the server zipping out from the kitchen. “Ah, finally. Now, you’ll have to tell me if they’ve done a decent job. I remember you said that you liked catfish, and I’ve been trying to teach the kitchen to make something like catfish tikka, but I didn’t really have anyone to test on and—”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Sanj said. He laughed, and a part of Rex melted then, watching Sanjay’s face wrinkle with humor. “It’s definitely the most anyone’s ever done for me for a third date.”
A pang of fear worked its way into Rex’s gut. Had he tried too hard? Yes, maybe the private low orbital shuttle to whisk Sanjay from his home in Metro City all the way to the islands where Rex’s fortress was situated might have been a bit much. But it had been so long since Rex had clicked with anyone, and their first two dates had gone so well. Audrey had been so right about the dating site. Not that she ever let Rex forget about it.
Steaming plates were set down in front of them, and Rex watched as Sanjay inhaled and smiled. Rex let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“Smells delicious,” Sanj said. “Really, you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.”
“It was no trouble,” Rex said, perhaps a bit too quickly. But it hadn’t been. Just a matter of importing the content of about a thousand different regional cookbooks into his base’s main computer and aggregating that with what he knew about Sanjay’s family and history and letting Audrey figure out the rest.
Comic Book Romance #2
CAL LOOKED up at the Capital City Chronicle newspaper’s building and took a deep breath. Peering at the entrance, which teemed with activity, he pushed his glasses back up from where they had slid down the bridge of his nose. In his other hand, he carried a briefcase with all the essentials: tablet loaded with notes for the articles he had been writing before the move, full pack of protein bars, old-fashioned notepad and pen for when he wanted to look more like how people imagined a reporter to be, and, of course, a spare uniform secreted away in the briefcase’s lining, in case he had to deal with any potentially world-ending threats.
Steeling himself against the press of bodies, he waded into the crowd surrounding the entrance. It wasn’t that he hated people. Not really. He loved the bustle of a newsroom, the noise and the chaos that meant the world was alive and moving. It reminded him of what he appreciated most about people: their eagerness, their drive. It was just that, as Calvin Kant, mild-mannered reporter, he had to be especially careful not to accidentally hip check someone through a wall, or sigh too loud and blow over a food stand. And amid the turmoil of activity that he craved, he was most at risk of someone figuring out that he wasn’t just Calvin Kant, but also Maxim, one of the most famous superheroes in the world.
He navigated the crowd without incident, aiming himself past reception and toward the bullpen. It was his first time inside the building, but the layout was similar to the Metro City Metropolitan newspaper. Plus he could hear the collective profanity of a dozen reporters furiously trying to make the morning deadline for the lunchtime online release. The bullpen was organized like a factory: desks arrayed in chaotic lines, while the editor-in-chief’s office sat above it all, separated by a staircase with a great wall of tinted glass so those below could never tell if they were being watched.
First order of business: introduce himself to his new boss. He’d spent years in Metro City, covering politics mostly, and thanks to his Maxim-um speed, he was able to keep up with even the tightest of deadlines. Getting a job at the Chronicle hadn’t been too difficult, especially since the editor-in-chief, Peri Blanc, had only been too happy to steal a reporter from their Metro City rival, J. Janus Jemisin. Those two were fiercely competitive, as they were both from the same graduating class of Howard University, nonbinary, and had reputations for being relentless in the pursuit of the biggest stories. Cal remembered how JJ had given the entire staff a bonus when they were able to scoop the Capital City bridge scandal right out from under the Chronicle’s nose. He also remembered how JJ had nearly fired the entire sports team when reporters from the Chronicle broke the story on the blood-doping scandal with the Metro City baseball team, the Racers.
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Cal straightened his shirt and almost missed the movement to his side as a figure dashed around him and up the stairs.
“Sorry, fresh meat,” the person said, and Cal caught a flash of a smile on a tawny face, “but I’m in a hurry.” The figure took the stairs three at a time and was in the editor-in-chief’s office before Cal could react.
He just stood there, mouth hanging open, not sure exactly what had happened. A moment later the door to the office opened again and a different figure stood there. Short and with a slight paunch, Peri Blanc looked quite different from Cal’s old boss, as JJ was tall and rail thin. And where JJ’s skin was a deep umber, Peri’s was a mild amber with a bronze glow. They both had the same intense glare, though, that seemed to weigh the very soul of the person they were looking at.
“You’re late,” Peri said, then turned back into the office.
Cal coughed and pushed his glasses back up his nose before ascending the stairs and catching the door just before it closed. Inside the office, it was dimly lit and cool, a marked difference from the heat of the bullpen. It also looked oddly…comfortable. A set of black leather couches sectioned off half the room as a sort of lounge, while Peri’s massive hardwood desk dominated the other half. It was like seeing the two sides of a person—business and leisure, friend and boss—manifested in the layout of the furniture. The person who had rushed in ahead of him had already sprawled on one of the large couches, but Peri motioned Cal to the single plain chair set opposite the desk. Cal sat while Peri circled around behind the desk and sank into its high-backed executive chair.
“Calvin Kant?”
Cal nodded.
“This is boring, boss,” the person on the couch said, and Peri rolled their eyes. “You know who he is. I know who he is. Can we just skip to the part with Gorillord and the prison already?”
Cal’s eyes widened, though he tried to keep the shock from his face. He was quite familiar with Gorillord. Not as Calvin Kant, really, but certainly as Maxim. The hyperintelligent gorilla was a supervillain and ecoterrorist, bent not only on emancipating animals from their servitude as pets and zoo attractions, but also on delivering them to their “proper place” as the overlords of humanity. Cal glanced from the man on the couch to Peri, whose eyes had narrowed as they looked at the other man with open censure.
“I apologize about Lu there,” Peri said. “He’s operating under the assumption that, because you’re new, I’d assign you to be his escort to Citiplex Prison for one of his pet projects.”
“Pet project?” the man said, though now that Peri had spoken, Cal knew exactly who he was. Hotshot of the Chronicle and the driving force behind the paper’s superpowered community coverage, Liang Lu. He had a reputation for being a bit reckless in pursuit of his stories—he had been kidnapped or held hostage by at least a dozen different villains, though somehow, he always managed to come through unscathed.
“I think an exposé on what really went down with Sharkmageddon and Gravity is a little more than a pet project,” Liang went on. “I mean, everyone seems to want to just pretend that nothing happened. But Sharkmageddon is a big deal. The last time she showed up, she took out the entirety of the Supremes. If one hero was able to banish her, I think maybe it deserves a bit more attention.”
“As long as she’s gone, our readership really doesn’t seem to care,” Peri said. “Besides, it’s a nonstory. A story about what didn’t happen. For all we know, it was all just an illusion or some sort of low-powered shark-clone. All that’s certain is that she’s gone now, so there’s nothing more to report.”
“There’s a story there,” Liang said. “And I’m sure my esteemed new colleague, Mr. Kant, agrees that it’s worth checking out. At least, he would if he was half the reporter he’s supposed to be.”
Cal clenched his jaw while Liang grinned at him as if daring him to argue. “And why do you think I’d be a good choice for this… assignment? Certainly there are others on the Chronicle who would be interested. Supervillains aren’t exactly my… specialty.”
Liang scowled, and Peri barked a laugh.
“No one here’s stupid enough to be anywhere near him while he’s on one of his projects,” they said. “The last three people to agree to help out ended up in the hospital. One still wakes up screaming from one of Fearachnid’s mental attacks. Face it, Lu, you’re bad luck.”
“And you’re a superstitious grump,” Liang said. “Anyway, Cal should be used to dangerous situations. Wasn’t he the one to get the scoop on Lexi Luzo being a half vampire in league with the Moondark Corporation? And during an election year. I can’t imagine she just let him be on his merry way.”
Cal cringed, remembering the stress-filled days following his breaking of that story. Despite everything, he had been much more worried about people discovering just how he had captured the damning evidence than about what Luzo would do in retaliation. In fact, a large part of his decision to move had been because the moment people saw him walk away from an explosion meant to kill him would be when they started to figure out he was more than just a mild-mannered reporter.
“Well, it’s up to you, Kant,” Peri said. “I don’t have anything specific for you yet, but that doesn’t mean you’re expected to put yourself in the line of fire again.”
“Oh, come on,” Liang said. “It’s a prison. The prison. There’s never been an incident at the Citiplex. It’s as safe as can be. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to show you around the city, get to know you a little better.” His lazy grin became something else, something… hungrier, and Cal felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest.
“Sure,” Cal said, allowing himself this. After all, if he refused it was likely Liang would just find someone else, someone who wasn’t bulletproof. And it wasn’t like he had anything else planned. “What could go wrong?”
REX’S FOOT tapped as he waited for the server to bring out their meal. Across from him, Sanjay gave a nervous smile.
“So this is where you… live?” Sanjay asked, casually sweeping around the massive room with his hand.
“What? Oh, yes,” Rex said, still scanning for the server. “And really, it normally doesn’t take so long. It’s just that they’re not used to cooking for anyone but me, and—”
“It’s fine,” Sanj said, “really. I’m not used to being waited on. Do you always eat here?”
“When work doesn’t take me away,” Rex said. “It’s just cozy, don’t you think?”
“Cozy… yeah…,” Sanj said. “Definitely an amazing view. You’re sure that it’s safe?”
“Completely,” Rex said, and he finally caught sight of the server zipping out from the kitchen. “Ah, finally. Now, you’ll have to tell me if they’ve done a decent job. I remember you said that you liked catfish, and I’ve been trying to teach the kitchen to make something like catfish tikka, but I didn’t really have anyone to test on and—”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Sanj said. He laughed, and a part of Rex melted then, watching Sanjay’s face wrinkle with humor. “It’s definitely the most anyone’s ever done for me for a third date.”
A pang of fear worked its way into Rex’s gut. Had he tried too hard? Yes, maybe the private low orbital shuttle to whisk Sanjay from his home in Metro City all the way to the islands where Rex’s fortress was situated might have been a bit much. But it had been so long since Rex had clicked with anyone, and their first two dates had gone so well. Audrey had been so right about the dating site. Not that she ever let Rex forget about it.
Steaming plates were set down in front of them, and Rex watched as Sanjay inhaled and smiled. Rex let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“Smells delicious,” Sanj said. “Really, you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.”
“It was no trouble,” Rex said, perhaps a bit too quickly. But it hadn’t been. Just a matter of importing the content of about a thousand different regional cookbooks into his base’s main computer and aggregating that with what he knew about Sanjay’s family and history and letting Audrey figure out the rest.
Comic Book Romance #2
CAL LOOKED up at the Capital City Chronicle newspaper’s building and took a deep breath. Peering at the entrance, which teemed with activity, he pushed his glasses back up from where they had slid down the bridge of his nose. In his other hand, he carried a briefcase with all the essentials: tablet loaded with notes for the articles he had been writing before the move, full pack of protein bars, old-fashioned notepad and pen for when he wanted to look more like how people imagined a reporter to be, and, of course, a spare uniform secreted away in the briefcase’s lining, in case he had to deal with any potentially world-ending threats.
Steeling himself against the press of bodies, he waded into the crowd surrounding the entrance. It wasn’t that he hated people. Not really. He loved the bustle of a newsroom, the noise and the chaos that meant the world was alive and moving. It reminded him of what he appreciated most about people: their eagerness, their drive. It was just that, as Calvin Kant, mild-mannered reporter, he had to be especially careful not to accidentally hip check someone through a wall, or sigh too loud and blow over a food stand. And amid the turmoil of activity that he craved, he was most at risk of someone figuring out that he wasn’t just Calvin Kant, but also Maxim, one of the most famous superheroes in the world.
He navigated the crowd without incident, aiming himself past reception and toward the bullpen. It was his first time inside the building, but the layout was similar to the Metro City Metropolitan newspaper. Plus he could hear the collective profanity of a dozen reporters furiously trying to make the morning deadline for the lunchtime online release. The bullpen was organized like a factory: desks arrayed in chaotic lines, while the editor-in-chief’s office sat above it all, separated by a staircase with a great wall of tinted glass so those below could never tell if they were being watched.
First order of business: introduce himself to his new boss. He’d spent years in Metro City, covering politics mostly, and thanks to his Maxim-um speed, he was able to keep up with even the tightest of deadlines. Getting a job at the Chronicle hadn’t been too difficult, especially since the editor-in-chief, Peri Blanc, had only been too happy to steal a reporter from their Metro City rival, J. Janus Jemisin. Those two were fiercely competitive, as they were both from the same graduating class of Howard University, nonbinary, and had reputations for being relentless in the pursuit of the biggest stories. Cal remembered how JJ had given the entire staff a bonus when they were able to scoop the Capital City bridge scandal right out from under the Chronicle’s nose. He also remembered how JJ had nearly fired the entire sports team when reporters from the Chronicle broke the story on the blood-doping scandal with the Metro City baseball team, the Racers.
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Cal straightened his shirt and almost missed the movement to his side as a figure dashed around him and up the stairs.
“Sorry, fresh meat,” the person said, and Cal caught a flash of a smile on a tawny face, “but I’m in a hurry.” The figure took the stairs three at a time and was in the editor-in-chief’s office before Cal could react.
He just stood there, mouth hanging open, not sure exactly what had happened. A moment later the door to the office opened again and a different figure stood there. Short and with a slight paunch, Peri Blanc looked quite different from Cal’s old boss, as JJ was tall and rail thin. And where JJ’s skin was a deep umber, Peri’s was a mild amber with a bronze glow. They both had the same intense glare, though, that seemed to weigh the very soul of the person they were looking at.
“You’re late,” Peri said, then turned back into the office.
Cal coughed and pushed his glasses back up his nose before ascending the stairs and catching the door just before it closed. Inside the office, it was dimly lit and cool, a marked difference from the heat of the bullpen. It also looked oddly…comfortable. A set of black leather couches sectioned off half the room as a sort of lounge, while Peri’s massive hardwood desk dominated the other half. It was like seeing the two sides of a person—business and leisure, friend and boss—manifested in the layout of the furniture. The person who had rushed in ahead of him had already sprawled on one of the large couches, but Peri motioned Cal to the single plain chair set opposite the desk. Cal sat while Peri circled around behind the desk and sank into its high-backed executive chair.
“Calvin Kant?”
Cal nodded.
“This is boring, boss,” the person on the couch said, and Peri rolled their eyes. “You know who he is. I know who he is. Can we just skip to the part with Gorillord and the prison already?”
Cal’s eyes widened, though he tried to keep the shock from his face. He was quite familiar with Gorillord. Not as Calvin Kant, really, but certainly as Maxim. The hyperintelligent gorilla was a supervillain and ecoterrorist, bent not only on emancipating animals from their servitude as pets and zoo attractions, but also on delivering them to their “proper place” as the overlords of humanity. Cal glanced from the man on the couch to Peri, whose eyes had narrowed as they looked at the other man with open censure.
“I apologize about Lu there,” Peri said. “He’s operating under the assumption that, because you’re new, I’d assign you to be his escort to Citiplex Prison for one of his pet projects.”
“Pet project?” the man said, though now that Peri had spoken, Cal knew exactly who he was. Hotshot of the Chronicle and the driving force behind the paper’s superpowered community coverage, Liang Lu. He had a reputation for being a bit reckless in pursuit of his stories—he had been kidnapped or held hostage by at least a dozen different villains, though somehow, he always managed to come through unscathed.
“I think an exposé on what really went down with Sharkmageddon and Gravity is a little more than a pet project,” Liang went on. “I mean, everyone seems to want to just pretend that nothing happened. But Sharkmageddon is a big deal. The last time she showed up, she took out the entirety of the Supremes. If one hero was able to banish her, I think maybe it deserves a bit more attention.”
“As long as she’s gone, our readership really doesn’t seem to care,” Peri said. “Besides, it’s a nonstory. A story about what didn’t happen. For all we know, it was all just an illusion or some sort of low-powered shark-clone. All that’s certain is that she’s gone now, so there’s nothing more to report.”
“There’s a story there,” Liang said. “And I’m sure my esteemed new colleague, Mr. Kant, agrees that it’s worth checking out. At least, he would if he was half the reporter he’s supposed to be.”
Cal clenched his jaw while Liang grinned at him as if daring him to argue. “And why do you think I’d be a good choice for this… assignment? Certainly there are others on the Chronicle who would be interested. Supervillains aren’t exactly my… specialty.”
Liang scowled, and Peri barked a laugh.
“No one here’s stupid enough to be anywhere near him while he’s on one of his projects,” they said. “The last three people to agree to help out ended up in the hospital. One still wakes up screaming from one of Fearachnid’s mental attacks. Face it, Lu, you’re bad luck.”
“And you’re a superstitious grump,” Liang said. “Anyway, Cal should be used to dangerous situations. Wasn’t he the one to get the scoop on Lexi Luzo being a half vampire in league with the Moondark Corporation? And during an election year. I can’t imagine she just let him be on his merry way.”
Cal cringed, remembering the stress-filled days following his breaking of that story. Despite everything, he had been much more worried about people discovering just how he had captured the damning evidence than about what Luzo would do in retaliation. In fact, a large part of his decision to move had been because the moment people saw him walk away from an explosion meant to kill him would be when they started to figure out he was more than just a mild-mannered reporter.
“Well, it’s up to you, Kant,” Peri said. “I don’t have anything specific for you yet, but that doesn’t mean you’re expected to put yourself in the line of fire again.”
“Oh, come on,” Liang said. “It’s a prison. The prison. There’s never been an incident at the Citiplex. It’s as safe as can be. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to show you around the city, get to know you a little better.” His lazy grin became something else, something… hungrier, and Cal felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest.
“Sure,” Cal said, allowing himself this. After all, if he refused it was likely Liang would just find someone else, someone who wasn’t bulletproof. And it wasn’t like he had anything else planned. “What could go wrong?”
The Werewolf Before Christmas #3
THE SINISTER Plan was packed, but most of the bar patrons were crowded around the big-screen television in the front, leaving the back a bit more open, except for those who were so large that they would otherwise block everyone’s view of the latest episode of All My Werewolves. And, of course, Alec Azam, who sat absently twirling his short mustache with one hand and drinking from a quickly depleting glass with the other.
“I just can’t understand how you can watch this,” Alec said, rolling his eyes as the bar erupted in cheers as two of the characters embraced for a sultry kiss, only to be broken midway through by a slap, a round of shouting, and a subsequent werewolf battle. “The show isn’t accurate with regards to werewolves. At all. It’s not even a full moon out. It looks to be the middle of the day.”
“These are science werewolves,” Ray said, his gaze not leaving the screen, “not magic werewolves. They were created by a secret government agency to be supersoldiers and then disavowed when they broke out and took refuge in the Rocky Mountains. Now they’re ski instructors-slash-superspies working for a secret countergovernment freedom front that fights against the exploitation of supernatural beings. They can shift whenever they want. Didn’t you pay attention during season two?”
Alec watched as Ray took a sip from his Shirley Temple, the small drink almost looking comical when compared to the large pack on Ray’s back, which was nearly as big again as the rest of him and which, when needed, could be expanded even farther into his MantaRay suit. It was surreal seeing a man who had fought Gravity to a standstill and one time knocked Maxim into a cement truck daintily hold his nonalcoholic drink and watch a show that made a mockery of the supernatural.
“I must have fallen asleep during that part,” Alec said. Truth be told, he had slept through most of the show he’d been forced to endure. Ray always got far too intent to pay attention, and after all of Alec’s attempts to steer their nights into steamier territory were rebuked, sleep seemed a more appropriate response than seeing if Ray would notice if he just started masturbating right there on the couch.
Charles Payseur currently resides in the frozen reaches of Wisconsin, where his partner, a gaggle of pets, and more craft beer than is strictly healthy help him through the long winters. He works an incredibly boring day job so that his nights can be filled with spaceships, magic, and attractive men kissing (and maybe a bit more than kissing...). His work can also be found at Torquere Press, Circlet Press, and in Lightspeed Magazine's Queers Destroy Science Fiction! When not writing fiction and poetry, he contributes to a number of blogs and review sites, and runs a home for his thoughts on short speculative fiction at Quick Sip Reviews. On Twitter as @ClowderofTwo he annoys the internet with far too many cat pictures and cocktail recipes.
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EMAIL: gipps1986@gmail.com
How the Supervillain Stole Christmas #1
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Comic Book Romance #2
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The Werewolf Before Christmas #3
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