Seventeen stories, thirteen authors, a second war. Once again Manifold Press's writers explore the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their war-time experience in cities, towns and countryside across the world.
Amidst war and peace, in the thick of violence or in an unexpected lull, these stories of the Second World War take the reader far and wide: through Britain, Europe, Asia and South America, from loss and parting to love and homecoming. As for home, it may be an ordinary house, or a prison camp, or a ship: but it is, in the end, where you find it, however far you have to go. Read this book, and make the journey yourself.
💦💥💦Please note: All proceeds will be donated to the British Refugee Council (Registered Charity No. 1014576).💦💥💦
An Affirming Flame by Jay Lewis Taylor
Berlin, July 1939. In the hot weather Patrick Lawson, music student and English tutor, has managed to ignore signs that all may not be well for at least one of his friends. It takes a piano in the wrong house, and then a missed train, to push him nearer to the truth than he might like.
Extraordinary Duties by Elin Gregory
In the early days of the Second World War, every man and woman is expected to serve their country, but sometimes the most unexpected people are called upon to fulfil extraordinary duties.
The Boy Left Behind by Eleanor Musgrove
Henry is used to people staring at her, with her men’s clothes and her peculiar ways. She and her girlfriend Rosie have stopped paying attention to the gossip and built a cosy home together. But when evacuation drops ten-year-old Tom into their life, Henry can only hope that he’ll accept her as she is.
The Man Who Loved Pigs by Megan Reddaway
When MI5 wireless operator Mike Bernsey meets a stranger in the London Blitz, it feels like something special. Eddy’s unforgettable. But for Mike, there’s no love without betrayal.
We Live Without a Future by Julie Bozza
With their home in London destroyed in the Blitz, Leonard and Virginia Woolf find what peace they can in a village near the Sussex coast. But with German and British planes grinding overhead, and the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, there is never enough peace to be had. There is never enough.
A Life to Live by RA Padmos
Scarred in body and mind after being rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, Thomas Wilson believes there’s nothing left for him but to live out his life as the last human occupant of the Isle of Kinnon. Then he finds a near-drowned German pilot on the shore and, saving his enemy, also saves something that he had thought was lost forever.
The Town of Titipu by Adam Fitzroy
POW theatricals, with proper professional costumes! Casting Freddie’s friend Bob as the heroine brings unexpected insight into Bob’s character – he enjoys dressing as a woman, and has limited opportunities in Germany in wartime – which causes Freddie to ponder his own feelings for fellow-captive Frank, and the prisons of conventionality men sometimes forge for themselves.
A Cup of Tea by Sandra Lindsey
A flood in the High Street brings soldiers to Robin’s town and leads to an unexpectedly adult conversation.
Letters by Eleanor Musgrove
In the darkness of the blackout, two young women meet to steal a few moments of peace in the shadow of the last war. But when day breaks, Bridget must return to her work as a telegraph messenger, while Iris nurses the wounded who have made it home. Unfortunately, as often as not, it’s bad news they have to deliver – and sometimes, it’s personal.
Buttercup by Jay Lewis Taylor
HMS Alceste is in Liverpool for a refit, and Able Seaman ‘Smudge’ Smith is volunteered for a part in the ship’s chaplain’s idea of rest and recreation. As the star of the show he finds himself the subject of an embarrassing wager, but even that is easier to deal with than overhearing staged romance become real passion behind the scenes.
Between Friends by Sandra Lindsey
Carlos has returned to Manaus in the hope that he can hold the conversation with his mentor, Dr Fernandes, which he ran away from initiating four years ago.
From Air to There by Michelle Peart
Paratrooper Puppet crash-lands onto a pigsty in occupied territory. Injured, alone and devastated by the loss of his friends, little does he know that his fate lies in the hands, and the endearing tenacity, of a young French farmhand called Henri.
We’re Out of Hero Fabric by Andrea Demitrius
Camil, on the outskirts of society since a childhood accident left him with impaired hearing, sees no reason to change when the war reaches Romania. Then one friend, Sebastian, has to flee the country, and another, Apostol, feels it his duty to answer the call to arms. With the Soviets closing in, and Apostol on the Eastern front, Camil decides to take a hand in events, come what may.
See by Adam Fitzroy
Enjoying a last swim before transferring out, Ingolf meets a naked man, and a moment of anonymous tenderness ensues. It isn’t safe to learn anything about each other, just to take their quiet pleasure and part, but the wish that it might be otherwise will continue to haunt them both long afterwards.
Across a Thousand Miles by Barry Brennessel
In a Chinese city, under the cover of darkness, unexpected visitors arrive. When Hsü Bao receives a beautiful gift from one of these men, he wastes no time showing it to Ch’en Guanyu. The boys have a mutual admiration for the work of art, and soon discover they have a mutual admiration for each other. However, when the true reason for the men’s visit comes to light, the gift takes on an entirely different meaning, and the boys’ lives take a drastic turn in a world being torn asunder.
Wild Flowers by JL Merrow
Henny lost her lover, Anna, during the war. Now, in post-war Berlin, as she joins other women rebuilding their shattered city from its ash-grey ruins, she recalls happier times – and finds new hope in a younger woman, Ruth.
Better to Die by Charlie Cochrane
Jamie is fascinated by one of the soldiers buried in his local churchyard, and the more he finds out about Captain Gore-Davis the more he realises how closely their lives are linked.
Berlin, July 1939. In the hot weather Patrick Lawson, music student and English tutor, has managed to ignore signs that all may not be well for at least one of his friends. It takes a piano in the wrong house, and then a missed train, to push him nearer to the truth than he might like.
Extraordinary Duties by Elin Gregory
In the early days of the Second World War, every man and woman is expected to serve their country, but sometimes the most unexpected people are called upon to fulfil extraordinary duties.
The Boy Left Behind by Eleanor Musgrove
Henry is used to people staring at her, with her men’s clothes and her peculiar ways. She and her girlfriend Rosie have stopped paying attention to the gossip and built a cosy home together. But when evacuation drops ten-year-old Tom into their life, Henry can only hope that he’ll accept her as she is.
The Man Who Loved Pigs by Megan Reddaway
When MI5 wireless operator Mike Bernsey meets a stranger in the London Blitz, it feels like something special. Eddy’s unforgettable. But for Mike, there’s no love without betrayal.
We Live Without a Future by Julie Bozza
With their home in London destroyed in the Blitz, Leonard and Virginia Woolf find what peace they can in a village near the Sussex coast. But with German and British planes grinding overhead, and the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, there is never enough peace to be had. There is never enough.
A Life to Live by RA Padmos
Scarred in body and mind after being rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, Thomas Wilson believes there’s nothing left for him but to live out his life as the last human occupant of the Isle of Kinnon. Then he finds a near-drowned German pilot on the shore and, saving his enemy, also saves something that he had thought was lost forever.
The Town of Titipu by Adam Fitzroy
POW theatricals, with proper professional costumes! Casting Freddie’s friend Bob as the heroine brings unexpected insight into Bob’s character – he enjoys dressing as a woman, and has limited opportunities in Germany in wartime – which causes Freddie to ponder his own feelings for fellow-captive Frank, and the prisons of conventionality men sometimes forge for themselves.
A Cup of Tea by Sandra Lindsey
A flood in the High Street brings soldiers to Robin’s town and leads to an unexpectedly adult conversation.
Letters by Eleanor Musgrove
In the darkness of the blackout, two young women meet to steal a few moments of peace in the shadow of the last war. But when day breaks, Bridget must return to her work as a telegraph messenger, while Iris nurses the wounded who have made it home. Unfortunately, as often as not, it’s bad news they have to deliver – and sometimes, it’s personal.
Buttercup by Jay Lewis Taylor
HMS Alceste is in Liverpool for a refit, and Able Seaman ‘Smudge’ Smith is volunteered for a part in the ship’s chaplain’s idea of rest and recreation. As the star of the show he finds himself the subject of an embarrassing wager, but even that is easier to deal with than overhearing staged romance become real passion behind the scenes.
Between Friends by Sandra Lindsey
Carlos has returned to Manaus in the hope that he can hold the conversation with his mentor, Dr Fernandes, which he ran away from initiating four years ago.
From Air to There by Michelle Peart
Paratrooper Puppet crash-lands onto a pigsty in occupied territory. Injured, alone and devastated by the loss of his friends, little does he know that his fate lies in the hands, and the endearing tenacity, of a young French farmhand called Henri.
We’re Out of Hero Fabric by Andrea Demitrius
Camil, on the outskirts of society since a childhood accident left him with impaired hearing, sees no reason to change when the war reaches Romania. Then one friend, Sebastian, has to flee the country, and another, Apostol, feels it his duty to answer the call to arms. With the Soviets closing in, and Apostol on the Eastern front, Camil decides to take a hand in events, come what may.
See by Adam Fitzroy
Enjoying a last swim before transferring out, Ingolf meets a naked man, and a moment of anonymous tenderness ensues. It isn’t safe to learn anything about each other, just to take their quiet pleasure and part, but the wish that it might be otherwise will continue to haunt them both long afterwards.
Across a Thousand Miles by Barry Brennessel
In a Chinese city, under the cover of darkness, unexpected visitors arrive. When Hsü Bao receives a beautiful gift from one of these men, he wastes no time showing it to Ch’en Guanyu. The boys have a mutual admiration for the work of art, and soon discover they have a mutual admiration for each other. However, when the true reason for the men’s visit comes to light, the gift takes on an entirely different meaning, and the boys’ lives take a drastic turn in a world being torn asunder.
Wild Flowers by JL Merrow
Henny lost her lover, Anna, during the war. Now, in post-war Berlin, as she joins other women rebuilding their shattered city from its ash-grey ruins, she recalls happier times – and finds new hope in a younger woman, Ruth.
Better to Die by Charlie Cochrane
Jamie is fascinated by one of the soldiers buried in his local churchyard, and the more he finds out about Captain Gore-Davis the more he realises how closely their lives are linked.
I was born in England, and lived most of my life in Australia before returning to the UK a few years ago; my dual nationality means that I am often a bit too cheeky, but will always apologise for it.
I have been writing fiction for almost thirty years, mostly for the enjoyment of myself and my friends, but writing is my love and my vocation so of course that’s where my dreams and ambitions are.
In the meantime, technical writing helps to pay the mortgage, while I also have fun with web design, photography, reading, watching movies and television, knitting, and imbibing espresso.
When Barry’s first collection of stories was read aloud by his second grade teacher, the author hid. As the years flew by, he wrote more, hid less (not really), and branched out to Super 8 films and cassette tape recorders. Barry’s audience—consisting solely of friends and family—were both amused and bemused.
Since those childhood days, Barry has earned degrees in English and French from the State University of New York College at Brockport, and a Master of Arts in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University.
Tinseltown, a Finalist in the 24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, is Barry’s first novel. His novel The Celestial won the Gold Medal in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards and was a Finalist in the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. Reunion, a collection of linked stories, was a Finalist in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards.
His work has appeared in SNReview, Perspectives, Time Pilot, Liquid Ohio, Nocturnal Lyric, Midnight Times, Gival Press’s ArLiJo, and Polari Journal. His stories, novels and teleplays have won awards, including a 2008 Pushcart Prize nomination; 3rd Place in the 2010 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) literary contest and finalist status in the 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013 PNWA contests; 3rd Place in the 79th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and a winning entry in the 2013 WILDSound Screenplay competition.
When not embroiled in his own writing, Barry sips wine, nibbles on chocolate, and watches films and TV—both the classic and the cheesy. (Mmm…cheese!)
As Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice - like managing a rugby team - she writes. Her favourite genre is gay fiction, predominantly historical romances/mysteries, but she's making an increasing number of forays into the modern day. She's even been known to write about gay werewolves - albeit highly respectable ones.
Her Cambridge Fellows series of Edwardian romantic mysteries were instrumental in seeing her named Speak Its Name Author of the Year 2009. She’s a member of both the Romantic Novelists’ Association and International Thriller Writers Inc.
Happily married, with a house full of daughters, Charlie tries to juggle writing with the rest of a busy life. She loves reading, theatre, good food and watching sport. Her ideal day would be a morning walking along a beach, an afternoon spent watching rugby and a church service in the evening.
Imaginist and purveyor of tall tales Adam Fitzroy is a UK resident who has been successfully spinning male-male romances either part-time or full-time since the 1980s, and has a particular interest in examining the conflicting demands of love and duty.
Elin GregoryElin Gregory lives in South Wales and works in a museum in a castle built on the edge of a Roman Fort! She reckons that's a pretty cool job.
Elin usually writes on historical subjects, and enjoys weaving the weird and wonderful facts she comes across in her research into her plots. She likes her heroes hard as nails but capable of tenderness when circumstances allow. Often they are in danger, frequently they have to make hard choices, but happy endings are always assured.
Current works in progress include one set during the Great War, another in WW2, one set in the Dark Ages and a series of contemporary romances set in a small town on the Welsh border.
Sandra lives in the mountains of Mid-Wales with her husband. Their garden is full of fruit and veg plants as well as home to a small flock of rare breed chickens, and she is a servant to two cats.
Sandra loves indulging in stories because she gets to spend her time with imaginary friends, and the research and observation required to write fiction open her eyes to a myriad different ways of seeing the world. Find her on Twitter - or curled up out of the way reading a good book!
JL MerrowJL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea. She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again. Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne.
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novella Muscling Through was a 2013 EPIC Award finalist, and her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy. Her novel Relief Valve is a finalist in the 2015 EPIC Awards.
JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
A young author just starting out, Eleanor Musgrove likes to dabble in as many types of story as she can think of - just as long as she's writing. As well as the books listed on Goodreads, she writes for the fantasy World of Caladria.
In no particular order: woman, writer, in a relationship with my wife since 1981 (though we had to wait until 2001 until we could actually get married), mother of two grown sons, owner of cats (I can pretend, can’t I?), reader and a lot more.
I write in different genres under different names. I’m also S.Dora for my M/M erotic romance and Ella Laurance for my M/F erotic romance.
I am a writer, a designer, and a lover of the fantastical. During the past two years, I have completed four writing courses, two at an advanced level, and passed all with Distinction.
TO THE LEFT OF YOUR NORTH STAR is my debut novel.
Megan Reddaway has been entertained by fictional characters acting out their stories in her head for as long as she can remember. She began writing them down as soon as she could.
Since she grew up (more or less), she’s worked as a secretary, driver, waitress, and flower-seller, among other things, but she always has a story bubbling away at the same time. She lives in England.
Despite having spent most of my life in Surrey and Oxfordshire, I now live in Somerset, within an hour’s drive of the villages where two of my great-great-great-grandparents were born. Although I work as a rare-books librarian in an abstruse area of medical history, I am in fact a thwarted medievalist with a strong arts background.
I have been writing fiction for over thirty years, exploring the lives of people who are on the margins in one way or another, and how the power of love and language can break down the walls that we build round ourselves.
Julie Bozza
BLOG / iTUNES / SMASHWORDS
EMAIL: info@juliebozza.com
Barry Brennessal
Charlie Cochrane
KOBO / GOOGLE PLAY / AUTOGRAPH / MLR
RIPTIDE / iTUNES / AUDIBLE / SMASHWORDS
BOOK WORLD / LAZY BEAGLE / B&N
EMAIL: cochrane.charlie2@googlemail.com
Andrea Demetrius
Adam Fitzroy
Elin Gregory
MANIFOLD / SMASHWORDS / iTUNES
Sandra Lindsey
JL Merrow
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B&N / DREAMSPINNER / GOODREADS
EMAIL: jl.merrow@gmail.com
Eleanor Musgrove
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RA Padmos
Michelle Peart
Megan Reddaway
TWITTER / WEBSITE / NEWSLETTER / KOBO
Jay Lewis Taylor
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