LOVE IN DARK SETTINGS ¶ Suspenseful novels on friendship, romance, and loyal service ¶ By Dusk Peterson

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Imprisonment. Slavery. War. Love.

Dusk Peterson writes fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary fiction. Suspense plays an important role in many of the tales; the conflict in those tales is both external and internal. Peterson's stories are often placed in dark settings, such as prisons or wartime locations. The mood of the stories, however, is not one of unrelieved gloominess: friendship, heterosexual romance, gay love, and faithful service are recurring themes.

If you enjoy these writings . . . Most of the writings at this domain are available free or on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis. If you like them, you are welcome to make a donation, buy an e-book or two, or tell other readers about these writings.

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NEW STORIES & ARTICLES

Introduction to Ted Carter's Aphrodite

Ted Carter's poetry collection Aphrodite includes an introduction by Dusk Peterson about the circumstances under which these sensuous New Orleans poems were written.

Excerpt
It was a love poem, in the purest sense. At a time when people were beginning to question whether New Orleans would ever recover as a city – or even should ever recover – Mr. Carter helped outsiders like me understand what treasures could not be moved from New Orleans to another part of the country.
can you move early mornings
(or parties) or formally dressed people
in early evenings riding on the streetcar
¶ Available in Aphrodite.

Law Links (The Three Lands)

Few events are more thrilling in a Koretian boy's life than a blood feud between two villages. Or so Adrian thought.

Torn between affection toward his traditional-minded father and worship of his peace-loving, heretical priest, Adrian finds himself caught between two incompatible visions of his duty to the gods. Then the Jackal God sends Adrian a message that will disrupt his life and send him fleeing from a danger he knows too well.

Excerpt
"Fenton, I tried to talk with my father—"
"It doesn't matter." Fenton's voice was quiet. "If this brings good that I cannot yet see, then I am glad. If it brings evil, then I am sure that the gods can transform that evil to good. . . . We were talking of sacrifice before."
This was such a sudden change of topic that it took me a moment to retrace our conversation. I could feel Fenton's hand tighten on my arm, as though he were thinking hard about what to say next. "Yes," I said with a yawn. "Sacrifice. You gave your sacrifice a long time ago."
For a moment more, Fenton's hand remained tight on my arm. Then it loosened, as though a decision had been made. "Not my sacrifice only," he said. "The dearest desire of my master's son had been to join the patrol, yet he broke Emorian law in revealing to me the patrol's secrets so that I could breach the border. He was too honest a boy to lie about his crime to others, so in aiding me, he lost his chance to join the border mountain patrol. I've never forgotten the sacrifice he made for me."
Amidst my sleepiness, I felt a sting of jealousy toward the young boy who had captured Fenton's heart by offering him a sacrifice. I have never had the opportunity to make a sacrifice for Fenton. Then I remembered that I had possessed Fenton's company all these years, while the boy would never even know that Fenton reached Koretia alive. I chided myself for my selfishness.
Fenton said, "The older boy . . . Adrian, are you listening?"
"Yes," I said, swallowing another yawn. "Go on."
"The older boy was named Quentin. Since he did nothing more for me than give me food, it's possible that he joined the patrol in the end. If so, he could be of assistance to you if you ever needed to enter Emor and had trouble doing so – if, for example, you lost your letter of passage during your travels."
I was going to deny scornfully that I would be so careless, but it seemed too much trouble to break through the weight of the heat pressing itself down upon me, hugging me like Fenton's arm. Heat, I thought; a bright spring day. Emlyn standing over a dead body . . .
¶ Available in The Three Lands.

On Guard (The Eternal Dungeon)

The ties forged between the noble-minded Eternal Dungeon and the abusive Hidden Dungeon have set off an unpredictable chain of horrific events, in which the love between two Seekers (torturers) will be tested to the straining point. Caught in the middle of the struggle are Barrett Boyd and Seward Sobel, two loyal guards who will find themselves questioning their most fundamental beliefs about the Eternal Dungeon's ideals.

Excerpt

Rolling his pencil back and forth on the dining table with the greatest of ease, Mr. Yates smiled when Barrett had finished speaking. "Mr. Boyd," he said, "you'll forgive me, I hope, if I'm blunt: You're exceedingly naive if you've ever thought that Seekers are infallible."
Wincing, Barrett took a sip of his morning tea. "It's not that. Working under Mr. Chapman . . . Well, he never tried to disguise when he was puzzled about how to proceed in a case. But I always thought that, when it came to the Seekers with greater skills . . ."
Mr. Yates shook his head as he pushed toward Barrett a basket of scones that were shaped like rings of rebirth. "We all make mistakes, Mr. Boyd. And what of it? Just because the magistrates sometimes sentence an innocent prisoner to be hanged, does that mean we should abolish the magistracy? Shall we allow criminals to roam the streets at will because we're afraid to take the chance of harming an innocent prisoner?"
Barrett tore his scone in half. "Imprisonment is one thing. What we do in the rack room, though . . ."
¶ Available in The Eternal Dungeon.

Unmarked (Waterman)

"Fair play" is the motto of the Third House at Narrows School, but that motto takes on a different meaning when a lonely member of the Third House is secretly wooed by a young man from a rival House.

Excerpt
Meredith forgot to let out his breath. Sitting as he was, his face was only inches now from Carruthers's chest. The strong smell of sweat on Carruthers's body had been replaced, after the sponge bath, with a sweet, salty scent that reminded Meredith of Bay water.
"Hold still," said Carruthers as he pulled back, adding, "if you don't mind." He poured a few drops of the antiseptic onto the wound. It fizzed, biting into the fresh wound. Meredith remained still and silent, as he had done when Carruthers had probed his cut and forced out blood.
He looked up from Carruthers's hands to see that the Head Prefect was watching him. "You're a player on the Third House footer team, as I recall?" Carruthers said.
"Yes, sir."
"Ah. That explains it." Carruthers turned his attention back to the cut.
Meredith felt a warm glow cover him then. No further words were needed from Carruthers; the Head did not need to say, "You bear pain well." His sentiments were contained in the simple words, "You're a player."
¶ Available in Waterman.

FREE E-BOOKS

In addition to the e-books listed in this section, all of Dusk Peterson's e-books from Smashwords (listed further below on this page) are available as pay-what-can-afford.

THE ETERNAL DUNGEON (historical fantasy)

The Breaking (DRM-free multiformat e-book). The prisoner knew that the Eternal Dungeon was a place where suspected criminals were broken by torture, and he was prepared to hold out against any methods used against him – except the method he could not anticipate.
About The Eternal Dungeon.

THE THREE LANDS (fantasy)

Re-creation (DRM-free multiformat e-book). What can you give a slave who, by law, can own nothing? . . . This 17,000-word novelette is a holiday story.
About The Three Lands.

TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY TOUGHS

TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY TOUGHS: Prisoners, Prostitutes, and Passion

A cycle of historical fantasy series by Dusk Peterson about disreputable men on the margins of society, and the men and women who love them. The novels are set in an imaginary version of Maryland and other Mid-Atlantic states between the 1880s and 1910s. One of the series in the cycle, Waterman, combines elements of the 1910s with retrofuturistic imagery from the 1960s.

The cycle: The Eternal Dungeon | Life Prison | Michael's House | Waterman.

The Eternal Dungeon

In the Queendom of Yclau lies an underground royal prison that embraces the worst of the past and the best of the future. The Eternal Dungeon is old-fashioned in its equipment and ahead of its time in its treatment of prisoners, seeking to put their best welfare above all else. Torture is part of the process of assisting the prisoners.

The High Seeker, Layle Smith, embodies this contradictory institution: a man of deadly impulses, the head torturer binds himself strictly by the dungeon's code of conduct. His efforts to maintain this delicate balance are altered, though, by the introduction into his life of Elsdon Taylor, a vulnerable prisoner who is coming to terms with his own darkness.

This 440,000-word omnibus contains four novels and a novella in The Eternal Dungeon, a historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips.

OMNIBUS E-BOOK

Download the DRM-free multiformat e-book: The Eternal Dungeon (e-book at Smashwords). 2010 edition. Mobipocket/Kindle, ePub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, and plain text. ¶ Please pay what you can afford for the Smashwords edition of the e-book.
Or buy it elsewhere: The Eternal Dungeon (e-book at Amazon Kindle) | The Eternal Dungeon (e-book at Barnes & Noble Nook) | Dusk Peterson at other e-bookstores (international).
Read an excerpt: The Eternal Dungeon short excerpt | The Eternal Dungeon table of contents and long excerpt | The Eternal Dungeon downloadable samples (scroll down) | First story in The Eternal Dungeon (free e-book).

The Eternal Dungeon genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Publication date: October 2010.
ISBN: 978-0-9841179-1-8.

AWARDS

Honored in the Rainbow Awards 2011 in the following categories:

* Winner, Best Gay Fantasy.
* 2nd Place, Best Setting Development.
* Honorable Mention, Best Gay Novel/Book.

"A deeply moving philosophical work . . . The characterization is very good and even bold, and the world building, while narrow, is solid and hints at a vast and real world that exist beyond the confines of the story. The overarching plot development is excellent, and is an extensive metaphor for the major themes of the book. The writing is eminently readable, and the author's decision to intersperse in-story historical analysis alongside the events taking place works beautifully." —One of the Rainbow Awards judges.

REVIEWS

"The reader is immersed seamlessly into another world filled with lush characters. The world building is intricately woven into the narrative, creating the framework of politics, religion, and culture that gives the story substance and the characters background." —Five-star review by Caethes Faron at Amazon.

"I've read The Eternal Dungeon twice, and both times, I finished with the feeling of having left a real world behind. It draws the reader from story to story, leading you on with deeper insights into its characters, and plot twists that take you completely by surprise." —Five-star review by Catana at Amazon.

"This omnibus was really a tour de force, but one that was worthy to be taken. With almost 1000 pages, it's actually 4 books in one, and even 1, at almost 250 pages each, is for any 'modern' standard (of fast reading) a long book." —Five-star review by Elisa Rolle at Amazon.

"If you fear reading [these stories] because the physical manifestation of torture doesn't appeal, you'll miss a truly great read. The Eternal Dungeon is in essence the story of psychology. It's a story about the mind, not the body. It's a story about madness and sanity. It's the story about love given unreservedly to one who feels undeserving of that love. It's a story about sacrifice on every level." —Five-star review of the first novel in the omnibus, by A. B. Gayle at Goodreads.

"You've taken some incredibly deep themes, psychologically and emotionally speaking, and woven them into characters that, by all accounts, the reader should have no sympathy for. [They] are not characters I would have ever expected to find myself empathizing with – but before I knew it, I found myself wrapped up in [The Eternal Dungeon's characters], and their struggles to become more than what nature made them. You deserve a great deal of kudos for that alone – and then you topped it off by setting them in well-thought-out, detailed worlds that left me enthralled. The entire 'Eternal Dungeon' premise and its connections to psychiatry is, by itself, incredibly intriguing – I've found myself pondering the intricacies of that connection for hours, and coming up with new ideas each time." —Hope of Dawn in a letter to the author.

SERIES RESOURCES

Turn-of-the-Century Toughs resources. Resources for The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, and Waterman. Online. Updated February 2011.

Life Prison

They are imprisoned until death, and their lives cannot get worse . . . or so they think. But when an unlikely alliance forms against their captors, the reformers risk losing what little comforts they possess.

Life Prison is a historical fantasy series about male desire and determination in Victorian prisons.

E-BOOKS

Life Prison (e-book at Amazon Kindle) | Coded Messages (e-book at Amazon Kindle) | Multiformat omnibus e-book coming soon. To receive notice of e-book publications, updated editions, and free fiction, subscribe to Dusk Peterson's e-mail list or blog.

Life Prison genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).

REVIEWS

"Combining a historical background similar to that of Victorian England with a skilled perspective into the nature of human relations and a wide range of characterization, 'Life Prison' is a real page-turner . . . This is a story – and an author – not to be missed." —Five-star review of the first story in the series, by Frost's Fancy at Rainbow Reviews.

"Written in the first person, Life Prison is a dark, eloquent, and absorbing psychological tale that delves into the mind of a killer who, perhaps incongruously, manages to evolve into a sympathetic character in spite of the horror of his crime." —Five-star review of the first story in the series, by Lisa at Goodreads.

"[Outside the prison, Merrick] would be a criminal, a reject of the society; inside he is a man." —Five-star review (with major spoilers) of the first story in the series, by Elisa Rolle at Amazon.

SERIES RESOURCES

Turn-of-the-Century Toughs resources. Online resources for The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, and Waterman. Updated February 2011.

Michael's House

In a world where temples are dying and sacred theaters have been replaced by brothels, what will happen when a hard-headed businessman joins forces with an idealist?

Michael's House is a historical fantasy series set in a Progressive Era slum.

E-BOOK

Whipster (e-book at Amazon Kindle) | Multiformat omnibus e-book coming soon. To receive notice of e-book publications, updated editions, and free fiction, subscribe to Dusk Peterson's e-mail list or blog.

Michael's House genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).

REVIEWS

"The relationship between . . . Michael and Janus is one of those unforgettable pairings that will live with the reader long after they finish the story." —Five-star review by A. B. Gayle at Goodreads.

"Tease away the outer layers [of the story], and a whole fascinating world of triumph over tragedy emerges." —Four-star review of the first novella in the e-book, by British Bull Dog at Rainbow Reviews.

"'Delicate' may seem like an odd word to use for such a story, but it's written with a delicacy that reveals the humanity of its characters rather than exploiting them. Whipster is a deeply moving story about survival in the underbelly of a culture that despises the people it uses and casts them off like so much garbage." —Five-star review by Catana at Goodreads.

SERIES RESOURCES

Turn-of-the-Century Toughs resources. Online resources for The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, and Waterman. Updated February 2011.

Waterman

Meredith is from the Eastern Shore of the Bay. Carr is from the Western Shore. . . .

This 100,000-word omnibus contains all the current stories in Waterman, a historical fantasy series and retrofuture series inspired by the Chesapeake Bay oyster wars, boarding school rivalries in the 1910s, and 1960s visions of things to come.

OMNIBUS E-BOOK

Download the DRM-free multiformat e-book: Waterman (e-book at Smashwords). 2010 edition. Mobipocket/Kindle, ePub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, and plain text. ¶ Please pay what you can afford for the Smashwords edition of the e-book.
Or buy it elsewhere: Waterman (e-book at Amazon Kindle) | Waterman (e-book at Barnes & Noble Nook) | Dusk Peterson at other e-bookstores (international).
Read an excerpt: Waterman short excerpt | Waterman table of contents and long excerpt | Waterman downloadable samples (scroll down).

Waterman genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Publication date: September 2010.
ISBN: 978-0-9841179-0-1.

REVIEWS

"What I love of Dusk Peterson's stories is that they are all fantasy . . . with deep roots in real history. While reading one of his books, whatever the historical period he picked and reinvented, you have the feeling [of being] plunged in a true historical novel, sometime even more an historical essay than a romance, but in the end, Dusk Peterson manages also to give you the romance, and odd as it sounds, most of the time his romances are among the most romantic I have ever read. Why odd? Since I think I have never heard Dusk Peterson associated with the romance world; so here is my suggestion to all the romance readers: go and pick one of Dusk Peterson's [omnibuses], this one in particular is a good pick, and give him a try, I'm sure you will not be disappointed." —Five-star review by Elisa Rolle at Amazon.

"Finally someone who is good at writing stories which appeal to my quirky intellectual mind and deliver the goods (so to speak). Extremely satisfying." —Anne Blue, publisher of Kanallje Press.

"The underlying theme of the stories is inherited power relationships, the effect on individuals of being unable to fit into the established hierarchies, and the wisdom of learning from those below you." —Four-star review by Catana at Goodreads.

SERIES RESOURCES

Turn-of-the-Century Toughs resources. Online resources for The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, and Waterman. Updated February 2011.

THE THREE LANDS

The Three Lands

Koretia, Emor, and Daxis were all founded on the same day, but as the centuries have passed, the Three Lands of the Great Peninsula have become increasingly divided by religion, government, and culture. Koretians worship many gods, Daxions worship one goddess, and Emorians revere only their law. Emorians claim that Koretians are vicious and superstitious, Koretians think that Daxions are vile oath-breakers, and Daxions charge that Emorians abuse their children and slaves.

If a god were to appear in the Three Lands, would his appearance bring an end to the fighting between nations? Or would he merely help to spark an inferno of war?

As the inhabitants of the Three Lands struggle to adjust to the appearance of an unexpected visitor into the human world, two people will play crucial roles in the conflict. One is a young Emorian – clever, courageous, and affectionate – who will come to understand the Koretians with a depth and intimacy that few others of his land can match. The other person is a Koretian boy whom the Emorian will seek to destroy.

This 360,000-word omnibus contains two novels, two novellas, and a novelette in The Three Lands, a fantasy series on friendship, romance, and betrayal in times of war and peace.

OMNIBUS E-BOOK

Download the DRM-free multiformat e-book: The Three Lands (e-book at Smashwords). 2011 edition. Mobipocket/Kindle, ePub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, and plain text. ¶ Please pay what you can afford for the Smashwords edition of the e-book.
Or buy it elsewhere: The Three Lands (e-book at Amazon Kindle) | The Three Lands (e-book at Barnes & Noble Nook) | Dusk Peterson at other e-bookstores (international).
Read an excerpt: The Three Lands short excerpt | The Three Lands table of contents and long excerpt | The Three Lands downloadable samples (scroll down) | Story from The Three Lands (free e-book).

The Three Lands genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Publication date: April 2011.
ISBN: 978-0-9841179-2-5.

REVIEWS

"I find the characterisations so sharply delicious, dark and shocking and yet engaging. . . . I like to savour each part." —Clare London, author of The Gold Warrior.

"Even in Dusk Peterson's darkest stories there is hope and, when it's needed, redemption. . . . These are powerful stories, beautifully written, with characters who will linger in your memory." —Five-star review by C. S. McClellan, author of Hidden Boundaries, at Smashwords.

"There's something very special about Dusk's dark fic. Dark, very, but there's this smidgen of light in every cavern Dusk throws a reader, and the brightness of that light is practically overwhelming by the time you get to the end of the novel, and it is like crawling to the opening of a cavern. It's like getting a miracle." —K. M. Frontain, author of The Soulstone Chronicles and former associate editor for Wild Child Publishing and Freya's Bower.

SERIES RESOURCES

The Three Lands resources. Online. Updated February 2011.

SWEET SUFFERING

Sweet Suffering: speculative fiction novels and stories on hurt, comfort, angst, and love

A soldier courts a young woman on the eve of battle. An aircar chauffeur tests the boundaries of his enslavement. A despairing captive in a Renaissance prison must choose whether to obey the deadly command of a lord. . . . Sweet Suffering contains works of fantasy, historical fantasy, and science fiction on friendship, heterosexual romance, gay love, and faithful service amidst hardship and transformation.

Includes the following fiction collections:

Princeling. In a world where war has lasted for generations, in which only the pitiless nobles who wage war hold power, and those who cannot fight must suffer or seek slow death . . . What would you do if you were a noble, and you lost the ability to fight?

Darkling Plain, fantasy tales about young people in times of conflict. Separated in time and place, young men and young women are united in their goal: to protect those they care for from the destruction of battle. The odds are against them.

Master/Other, fantasy, historical fantasy, and science fiction about prisoners, slaves, liegemen, and love. . . . Masters come in many forms. Some don't even know they're masters. Romantic and poignant, this collection offers stories exploring the dangers and alluring bonds of power.

E-BOOK

Multiformat omnibus e-book coming soon. To receive notice of e-book publications, updated editions, and free fiction, subscribe to Dusk Peterson's e-mail list or blog.

Princeling genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Darkling Plain genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Master/Other genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).

REVIEWS

"Dusk Peterson writes beautiful original fiction about the psychological, not the physical. Peterson's work is quiet, intimate, and focuses on internal conflict." —Remy Hart, author of the Northern Corporate Dominion series, at The Control Panel.

"Outstanding original stories. Fascinating look into the human psyche." —Aesthetic Kismet at wwink.

"Dusk writes some amazing stories, filled with angst and pain, but also with love and compassion and understanding." —Nigel Puerasch, author of "Redhead" and "An Ozzie Christmas Tale."

MAIN STREET LEATHER

Main Street Leather: stories of leathermen from small towns and suburbs, from the 1940s to the 21st century

Leather is a world of rich pleasure palaces and endless sensual delights, where dreams can be pursued without limit, provided that a man has the strength to stand the test. . . . But in the rural town of Mayhill, population 32,000, leather life is a little different.

Includes the following fiction collections:

Loren's Lashes, a retro series about a Midwestern community of closeted leathermen.

Leathermen, Fan Fiction Writers, and Other Rebels, humor and satire about transgressive sexuality in the twenty-first century. There's only one thing worse than leather-clad, kinky gay bikers demanding their rights: mild-mannered vanilla heterosexuals demanding their rights.

Leather in Lawnville. A 5&10. A potluck. A hamburger joint. A waltz party. Perfect places for leathersex. . . . This story collection follows the adventures of a suburban leatherman.

E-BOOKS

Leather, Licking, and Lawnmowers (Amazon Kindle e-book) | What Slaves Do When They Aren't Cleaning Toilets: A Tale of Web Accessibility in the Cybersex Era (Amazon Kindle e-book) | First Lesson (Amazon Kindle e-book) | Multiformat omnibus e-book coming soon. To receive notice of e-book publications, updated editions, and free fiction, subscribe to Dusk Peterson's e-mail list or blog.

Loren's Lashes genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Leathermen, Fan Fiction Writers, and Other Rebels genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).
Leather in Lawnville genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).

AWARD

Runner-up, 2006 Rauxa Prize for erotic fiction ("given annually for an erotic story of exceptional literary quality"), for the short story "Spontaneous" in the Leather, Licking, and Lawnmowers collection.

REVIEWS

Reviews of Loren's Lashes

"Not a cliche in sight, and the characters are realistic enough to jump off the page." —Jean Roberta, author and BDSM book reviewer.

"Don't ever expect Dusk to avoid a topic because of current social taboos, but do expect the ethical aspects of actions to be explored." —Parhelion, author of Hurrah for Hollywood.

Reviews of Leather in Lawnville

"[Dusk Peterson] has a realistic and sarcastic tone to his works, with this edge of sweetness underneath." —LitGal.

"The writing is smooth, accessible and witty. I have no hesitation in awarding this single author anthology full marks." —Five-star review by British Bull Dog at Rainbow Reviews.

"The reader was given a very intimate view of the characters' philosophies and personal struggles, but the stylistic approach was campy and darkly comedic, so the reader never feels aggressively accosted with the satirical social commentary. . . . I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark sexual comedy with principles and heart. You don't have to be gay, and you don't have to be in the BDSM or the leather scene to enjoy these stories. The writing is simply wonderful: campy, self-deprecating, sarcastic, and very, very funny." —Five-star review by Cheryl Anne Gardner at Amazon.

"It's so great to see the Leather culture taken out of the normal 'club hub' and thrown into suburbia." —James Buchanan, author of the award-winning gay BDSM novel Hard Fall.

"Fiction hasn't been capturing my attention for a long time now but you've sucked me into your Lawnville world from the first sentence of each tale." —Barbara Sheridan, author of the gay erotic novel Blood Brothers, in an e-mail to the author.

SERIES RESOURCES

Loren's Lashes resources | Leathermen, Fan Fiction Writers, and Other Rebels resources: leather culture | Leathermen, Fan Fiction Writers, and Other Rebels resources: fan fiction culture. All resources are online.

NONFICTION

Articles

ARTICLES IN PRINT & IN E-BOOKS

Dusk Peterson (writing as H. E. Peterson) wrote an afterword to Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths, by Andrew Calimach (Haiduk Press, 2002), exploring the modern relevance and spiritual significance of male/male Greek mythology.

Buy the book or e-book: Lovers' Legends (hardback, directly from the publisher) | Lovers' Legends (hardback at various retailers and PDF e-book at Google eBooks).

"Drag Queens, Leathermen, and Telling the Truth: Franny and the Life of John Preston" is an essay by Dusk Peterson in the 2005 Arsenal Pulp edition of John Preston's Franny, the Queen of Provincetown. The essay describes the way in which the author's gay activism and his participation in leather life shaped his views on gender.

Buy the book: Franny, the Queen of Provincetown (paperback, directly from the publisher) | Franny, the Queen of Provincetown (paperback at various retailers ).

Ted Carter's poetry collection Aphrodite (Skarlet Press, 2010) includes an introduction by Dusk Peterson about the circumstances in which these sensuous New Orleans poems were written.

Buy the book or e-book: Aphrodite (paperback at Lulu) | Aphrodite (paperback at various retailers) | Aphrodite (PDF e-book at Lulu).

¶ See also Dusk Peterson's online nonfiction.

UPCOMING FICTION

To receive notice of e-book publications, updated editions, and free fiction, subscribe to Dusk Peterson's e-mail list or blog.

The Eternal Dungeon upcoming fiction: Sweet Blood

The Eternal Dungeon has been split by a civil war, with the division clearly marked by a quarrel between two Seekers (torturers) whose faithfulness to each other has already become legendary. Into this explosive situation arrives a new Seeker, one who is determined to see that past evils do not continue in the dungeon. But can he keep control of himself when he is assigned an affectionate prisoner?

Life Prison upcoming fiction: Hell's Messenger

It had seemed for a while that the plan would work: a bold conspiracy by a group of idealistic prisoners and sympathetic guards to stop abuse at Mercy Prison. Then betrayal occurs, and Tyrrell finds himself in a new life prison, with new rules to be learned. No longer is he in a position of leadership; now he is surrounded by men who question his most fundamental values.

He has new allies as well: fellow prisoners who like what they see in him, a healer who refuses to accept current conditions, and guards who may or may not provide the help that the prisoners desperately need. But Hell's messenger, Death, visits Compassion Prison, keeping his face hidden until it is almost too late for Tyrrell to recognize his touch.

Michael's House upcoming fiction: Honor and Hope

For two years, Michael's House has managed to survive in its competition against richer, less scrupulous pleasure houses. Now matters are reaching a climax at this unorthodox house of male prostitution: money is running out, social reformers are arming themselves for battle, legislation threatens to shut down the business, and worst of all, signs are growing that Michael will be betrayed by his closest companions. Will he have any allies left by the time he reaches the end of his fight?

Waterman upcoming fiction: "The Abolitionist"

When a foul-mouthed, seditious foreigner turns up at your door, what are the benefits of letting him in?

The Three Lands upcoming fiction: Law of Vengeance

For over twenty years, Carle has told the heir to the Emorian throne that vengeance is only the other side of mercy, and that disobedience and treachery should never be forgiven. Finally it seems that his message has been received. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that Carle should have chosen this moment to break the law.

As war threatens and the foundations of his life crumble, his only hope for rescue lies with a man who has every reason to hate Carle.

Sweet Suffering upcoming fiction: "Right or Right"

Linnet is trouble. Everyone agrees about that. Driven from her native barony, she arrives at Goldhollow in hopes of beginning a new life, only to discover that she cannot escape her past.

As Linnet is drawn into memories of a dark young man she once knew, she must deal in the present with a boy who is headed toward danger, as well as a child-like baron who may force her to betray her past.

Main Street Leather upcoming fiction: "Water in a Drought"

When a young cowboy leaves his ranch during World War II, this turns out to be the start of a forty-year search for tough men that will lead him from the Texas Panhandle to Folsom Street to a small town in the Midwest . . . with danger always lurking close behind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Dusk Peterson's writings at this domain are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License. Dusk Peterson's videos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike License.

Cover designs: Dusk Peterson. Art credits for fantasy covers. Art credits for historical fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary fiction covers. Permission is granted for the reposting and reprinting of the banners, covers, and story summaries (blurbs) for the purposes of providing information on Dusk Peterson's writings. Please link to duskpeterson.com if possible.

E-MAIL

If you send me pretty compliments, I will print your letter out and frame it above my computer. (This isn't much of an exaggeration.) If, on the other hand, you send me a letter that begins, "What kind of nit-witted writer are you? You gave your character blue eyes in scene one and green eyes in scene two!" then I will raise up a shrine in your honor and burn candles upon your altar.

Constructive criticism, enquiries, and idle chit-chat may be sent to Dusk Peterson at [turn on JavaScript to read, or write to duskpetersonATfastmail.fm, replacing AT with the appropriate symbol]. I am often offline; time-sensitive e-mail should be sent to both me and my personal assistant, Jo/e Noakes.