Book Blast: Collared: Volume 1 by HSF

 

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Collared: Volume 1

Author/Publisher/Cover Artist: HSF

Release Date: October 15, 2025

Tense/POV: First-person, past tense, single POV

Genres: Contemporary Gay Romance, BDSM, Erotica

Tropes: Master/sub dynamics, BDSM training, total power exchange, collaring, exhibitionism

Kink Elements (explicit): Watersports, group sex, pup play, fisting, chastity, remote-control toys

Themes: Total submission and ownership, consensual degradation and public use, whoring out, pup play, gang-bang, kink events, body marking/branding

Length: 32 065 words/approx. 125 pages

Heat Rating:  5 flames

A very brief Volume 1.5 is available for free on author’s website (as a digital book, posts, and podcast episodes). This is because Volume 1.5 depicts hypnosis, and there is a concern that some booksellers would consider it an expression of 'dubious consent'.

Off-limits: Volume 1 of Collared does not include so-called dubious consent (and certainly no rape or other illegal activities).

Goodreads  |   Buy Links

A sub drawn deeper into submission on his Master’s leash—through public use, private service, and every desire in between.

It all begins at the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco and then dives into House Slave Fag’s growing submission — from public displays to intimate encounters at a bar, a pool party, and even scenes of service under his Master’s sports team. Intimate, raw, and reverent, it’s not just about what happened — it’s about everything he hoped would happen next in real life. Includes 12 chapters (approx. 125 pages).

When I first began writing about kink, it was with this story. It was back during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was horny as hell, but couldn't have physical contact with anyone, while I was sheltering at home with a part of my family.

I call this my lead story, because it is the story that is most closely related to my real life. All of my stories convey my fantasies, but in this one I am simply sharing scenarios I imagined as taking things a few steps further with my real-life Master. Keep in mind that this entire story, which I continue to develop, is based on the premise that my Master has the liberty to enact anything that I dared depict in it.

I was quite nervous about going with my Master to Folsom Street Fair, the world famous kinky event, where they close off a street and practically anything goes. It’s one thing to walk around and see others display their kinks, but it’s something completely different to be entirely exposed and displaying my own kinks to the general public, even if it is in a sort of welcoming or appropriate environment. It is still on the street. People could take photographs of me (although it’s polite to seek permission) and I have a career to worry about. My Master is not unreasonable, and he told me I can wear the leather hood I recently ordered online. It’s thick and it will cover my head from all sides. People will only see my body, shoes and eyes through the holes in the hood, so they’re not likely to be able to identify me, he reassured. I was still worried about it, but I had to agree that he was right.

With that it was settled and I got ready for our outing. He gave me some time in the morning to douche and shower. Then the remote-controlled butt plug went into my butt hole. I locked the metal chastity cage on my dick and returned the spare key to him. I put on a jockstrap with the word slave written on the waistband. He chose for me the shortest gym shorts I had, and of course the “slave” waistband had to be visible on top. On my shoulders I was instructed to wear the harness he had me order online. My collar necklace would be visible under the harness. On top I was allowed to wear a sleeveless hoodie for the car ride, and in case it got colder later in the day. My butt hole vibrated briefly, as he checked it was working through the app on his phone. While it vibrated, it also lit up with changing colors that were visible through the thin garment of my gym shorts.

My Master was standing by the door, dressed in leather pants, a buttoned-down black shirt and a leather tie. “Come over here,” he motioned. “Put my tall leather boots on.”

I got down on my knees and put both of the heavy boots on his athletic legs. I could feel his developed calves as I zipped the boots up. I was starting to get up, but he stopped me.

“Stay there,” he instructed, as he patted my head. “I know you’re nervous about today. Don’t be. Just follow my lead and everything will be fine. I’ll be showing you off to a lot of people, so make me proud. You’ll have the protection of the hood, so don’t worry about being discreet. Now kiss my boots and let’s go,” he instructed.

I leaned forward to kiss his boots, one at a time, taking in the smell of the leather and then I said “thank you, Sir.”

He patted my head again and said “good boy!”. I was filled with pride and let out a purr. With that, I rose to my feet, head down. He gave me his bag to carry and the key to the car. We got out of the apartment and into the car, with me in the driver’s seat and him in the back, as usual. I switched on the radio on a station he liked, playing EDM; put the address he gave me into my phone’s google maps; and we drove off.

HSF is a gay erotic writer exploring the psychology of Dominance, submission, and a range of kinks.

Collared to his Master for six years, he began documenting his journey into deeper submission through short fantasy stories and diary-style posts reflecting on erotic power exchange. What started as playful storytelling became a passionate creative practice—and a way to inspire others to explore their own desires.

Since launching his blog over two years ago and his podcast several months later, HSF has published seven books, blending raw sexuality with introspection, emotional honesty, and the thrill of submission. His work celebrates kink in all its forms—its community, its freedom, and the deeply personal transformations it can spark.

He continues to write, record, and share his evolving journey with a growing audience of readers, listeners, subs, Doms, and everyone in between.

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Book Blast: Interview with the Tarot Reader by Kathy Kaye

 

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Interview with the Tarot Reader

Author: Kathy Kaye

Publisher: Vanguard Press, Cambridge, UK

Cover Artist: Image licensed from Adobe Publishers

Release Date: May 29, 2025

Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance, Slightly Speculative

Tropes: Intrigue, romance, spiritual insight, wisdom of the universe

Themes: Human connection and loss, coincidence and destiny, self-discovery

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length:  40 000 words/201 pages

It is Book 1 of 3. Books 2 and 3 are being written. 

Book 2, The Tarot Connection, will be published in mid 2026.

This book ends on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

A captivating tale of love, fate, and the power of the unknown.

In the heart of San Francisco, two strangers find themselves inexplicably connected in a moment that transcends time and space. As they navigate this unexplainable bond, they are drawn into a world of mystery and self-discovery that will change their lives forever.

Interview with the Tarot Reader weaves a captivating tale of love, fate, and the power of the unknown. Join Marie Cameron, a renowned tarot card reader, as she delves into the depths of the human soul and uncovers the secrets that lie within. With a blend of intrigue, romance, and spiritual insight, this novel will leave you questioning the boundaries of reality and the true nature of connection. 

Interview with the Tarot Reader is a mesmerizing journey, where the answers you seek may be found in the most unexpected of places.

“Welcome, viewers. My name is Cole Hardigan with San Francisco at Night. We are delighted to have a special guest with us this evening, Tarot Card Reader Marie Cameron.

“Marie, thank you for being here.”

Marie smiled. “My pleasure.” She felt her heart flutter, nervous as she sometimes became at the beginning of an interview or mingling in the public eye.

“As many of you are aware, Marie is a well-respected tarot reader, lecturer, and writer here in the Bay area. And she is a celebrity in her own right, with more than thirty years’ experience reading tarot cards for the famous as well as the infamous, the ordinary as well as the quite extraordinary.

“Marie has just published her best-selling memoir, The Messages of Tarot: Keys to an Intentional Life, which details her years and the people she has met practicing her profession.

“So, let us begin.” He tuned to his subject. “Marie, several years ago you experienced what you describe in your book as the defining moment in your career, in which you helped two young adults come to an understanding of an event, an occurrence that is ‘not of this world.’ This event, this connection between the two individuals, is so rare, you say, that it is often not discussed.”

Marie: “That is correct.”

Cole: “We want to open up that world tonight. Can you explain for us just what it was that happened?”

Marie: “Yes, of course.” She folded her hands and began. “I had the good fortune of meeting two individuals of different races, ages, genders who met by chance on a San Francisco sidewalk and instantly connected or, more accurately, reconnected, experiencing a bonding between them that, as you described, is not of this world. This type of connection with another has been defined in tarot literature as of another realm, but of a connected realm that is the entirety of the universe.”

Cole: “But how does it occur, this so-called connection?”

Marie: “It is when time and motion stop. There are no decades, no centuries, no millennia. There is nothing that separates one period in time from another. People describe the first recognition of a connection as time standing still and a continuum of being. What was, is. And will be. What this connection brings is peace within oneself and with another beyond anything imaginable.”

Cole: “Can you talk about that a bit more? About the peace you mention?”

Marie: “My understanding is that it is a feeling of oneness, of knowing, and finally of understanding the universe. And oneself.”

Cole: “Some might say this is heading into woo-woo territory.”

Marie smiled. “The closest I can describe it is the sense of grace and peacefulness that occurs for some within their religion.”

Cole: “So tarot is religious then?”

Marie paused, having been asked this question many times. “Tarot is a pathway that may lead to understandings that certainly could be construed as spiritual and, yes, religious.”

Cole: “I see. Has tarot been that way for you?”

Marie hesitated again, the question personal. “I found answers within tarot that I did not find anywhere else. And that occurred because tarot helped me reframe and refine my own questions about life. It can help others do the same.

“For example, the question ‘Will I be rich?’ can be rephrased to ‘Will I find wealth in a way I had not anticipated.’ That question opens possibilities, redefining wealth as not just about money. For some individuals, monetary wealth is not an answer. It really shouldn’t be a question.”

Cole: “Thought provoking. Getting back to the two individuals, what did their so-called connection do for them?”

Marie: “It gave them an awareness of their place in time and to one another that will be unending and unbroken.”

Cole: “Did you believe, at first, that this connection had actually occurred?”

Marie: “I did.”

Cole: “How is it you came to be associated with them?”

Kathy Kaye is a former writer and editor for the American Medical Association, Harvard Medical School, and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. She received a degree in English Literature from Illinois State University and completed a certificate in Wine Technology at South Seattle College’s Northwest Wine Academy. For many years she was co-owner of a small vineyard in eastern Washington State. She resides in Shoreline, Washington.

Kaye is currently writing two story series: the Warehouse Winery Mystery series, a police procedural, set in Woodinville, Washington, where, in real life, she sold winemakers the grapes she grew; and the Tarot Reader series. Interview with the Tarot Reader is book one of three in this series. Book two, The Tarot Connection, will be published in 2026. 

LuckyMACK Studios, Seattle

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Book Blast and Giveaway: AND HUBBY MAKES THREE: A TRAGICALLY FABULOUS LOVE STORY by Michael McHale

BOOK BLAST

Book Title:  AND HUBBY MAKES THREE: A TRAGICALLY FABULOUS LOVE STORY

Author: Michael McHale

Publisher: Hennessey House Publications

Cover Artist: MSM Graphics

Release Date: December 4, 2024

Pairing: MM

Tense/POV: Third person/past tense

Genres:  LGBTQIA+ Romantic Comedy

Tropes: Gay best friend, family

Themes: Best friend saves friend’s wedding and makes her dreams come true

Length: 21 739 words/164 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Heat Rating:  1 - 2 flames

Goodreads  

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Best gay friend saves his girlfriend’s wedding from becoming a disaster 

while adding a lot of his own fabulous flare

When Wendy is horribly abandoned by her fiancé Bruce just days before her dream wedding, her fabulous gay best friend Mitch steps in to help save the day! What happens next is a plethora of comical miscommunications that lead to one of the most colorful weddings of our time that would make even Martha Stewart proud as Mitch, along with his life partner Kevin and bigger than life friend Bob, rush to make Wendy’s dreams come true. And maybe even some of Mitch’s dreams?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Divine Intervention

The elderly priest had been looking forward to his mid-morning snack with the kind of anticipation usually reserved for Christmas morning. He'd assembled the perfect array of treats on his tray, humming contentedly as he made his way down the cathedral aisle. 

That's when Wendy burst in, tears streaming down her face, and dove into the confessional.

The priest looked longingly at his snacks, then skyward with a resigned sigh. The Lord worked in mysterious ways, particularly when it came to interrupting a much needed snack 

time.

"Father, forgive me, for I have sinned."

"You don't mind if I eat, do you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I haven't eaten all morning. I'm starving. Please, I

promise it won't interfere."

"Uh, okay... I mean, it is your house and all, so..."

"Thank you," he managed around a mouthful of

sandwich. "So, tell me my child, what is troubling you?"

"Well, I believe I may have caused my fiancé to 

stumble."

"Hmmmm... How so?"

"By marrying my husband!"

The priest nearly choked on his snack. "By marrying your...? Wait! Didn't you marry your fiancé?"

"No. I married my best friend."

"Oh, that's lovely. One should always marry their best friend."

"But I was supposed to marry my fiancé."

"What's wrong with marrying your best friend?"

"Well, aside from the fact that he's gay, and already has a life partner, nothing I guess."

"Ah, so your fiancé is gay?"

"No, no. My husband is gay. My fiancé is straight."

"I see." (he didn’t) The priest set down his sandwich, sensing this might require his full attention. 

"So, did you marry him to ummm... change him?"

"No, I married him because my fiancé told me to."

"Does your fiancé know that he's gay?"

"My fiancé isn't gay! My husband is gay!"

"Okay, okay. So… what was the question again?"

"I believe that my marrying Mitch..."

"The gay best friend..."

"Right."

The Priest was so proud of himself, "See, I'm catching on."

"Good. Now, I'm afraid that my marrying Mitch may have caused my fiancé, Bruce, to stumble. It was a joke, you know? I just wanted to go through with the wedding, and when Bruce wouldn't, Mitch said he would, so..."

"The stumbling part... let's get to the stumbling part.” He picked up his sandwich with empty high hopes.

"Right. Well, I found him with another woman!"

"I thought you said he was gay?"

"No. My husband's gay! Not my fiancé. Ya know, I thought you were catching on? Maybe you shouldn't be eating while we do this..."

The priest set down his food with a heavy sigh that suggested he was reconsidering his vocation.

"So, what should I do?"

He took a fortifying gulp of milk before delivering his verdict. "Go to him."

"Who? Which one?"

"Your gay husband. Your straight fiancé. Your second cousin’s lover! I don't care! Just go! Go to one of them. Go to both of them! Go to none of them, but please, I beg you -- just go! Oh, and you are forgiven!  Say ten Hail Mary’s and five Our Fathers.  Now Go! Go! Run like the wind!”

As Wendy left the confessional in a daze, the priest returned to his interrupted snack, making a mental note to suggest that the seminary add a course in modern relationship dynamics. Clearly, the traditional marriage counseling training wasn't covering all the bases anymore. At least the sandwich was good. 

Though he had a feeling he'd need something stronger than milk to process this particular confession.

 A storyteller across multiple mediums, Michael McHale has entertained and educated audiences for over three decades.

From writing for the iconic TV series Power Rangers to his LGBTQ+ web series The Queerburgs (on YouTube), to bringing his real-life story to life to the big screen with the short film Lena's Dance to creating more than 100,000 riddles and clues for over 20,000 mysteries through his educational company Mysteries By Mike, his creative footprint spans television, film, education, and literature.

Known in Hollywood as the go-to party planner for celebrity children's events, he's authored multiple books including two children's titles that includes an insider guide to Hollywood entertaining. His latest novel, adapted from a screenplay he wrote in 1997, was born from a conversation about marriage equality long before it became reality - a reality he now shares with his husband Bob, celebrating 21 years of marriage in Los Angeles.

With the upcoming YA series MURDER HIGH SCHOOL: DETENTION CAN BE MURDER! in development, McHale continues to expand his literary universe while infusing his work with the authenticity that comes from being a 35-year AIDS survivor (Victor) and dedicated LGBTQ+ activist. His storytelling celebrates life, love, and chosen family with equal measures of humor and heart.

When not writing or planning spectacular events, he can be found at home with Bob, their mischievous pug Gabby Rose, and their trio of cats - Princess Charlotte, Rascal, and Marley - plotting his next story or party, whichever comes first.

Early readers are already calling his latest novel 'an instant gay classic' with strong potential for adaptation as a Netflix limited series.

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Book Blast: THE TRUTH OF A KALEIDOSCOPE MIND - PATRICK BRYCE WRIGHT

 

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Truth of a Kaleidoscope Mind

Author: Patrick Bryce Wright

Publisher: Wicked Ink Publishing, Ltd.

Release Date:  October 29, 2024

Pairing: MMF

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, single POV

Genres: Paranormal horror, psychological horror

Tropes: Haunted house, dark family secret, damaged guy finds love, childhood friends to lovers

Themes: Healing from trauma, found family

Heat Rating:  3 flames      

Length: 82 000 words/ 300 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Universal Link 

When cleaning his dead mother’s cellar, Fredrick discovers his family’s dark secrets, unleashing angry spirits in the house that threaten both him and his new love. 

Shorter blurb

When Fredrick Anderson’s mother dies, he cleans her house and discovers his diary in the cellar. To his shock, it reveals what his mind hid from him: his parents abused him. The family secrets provoke the ghosts haunting the house. As the spirits threaten his life, Fredrick must uncover the truth of his family’s traumas and tragedies both to survive and find love. 

Longer Blurb

In a 1950s Craftsman house steeped in the weight of the departed, Fredrick Michael Anderson faces a daunting task: preparing his late mother's home for auction. Battling memories of a turbulent childhood marred by gender conflicts, Fredrick delves into the cellar alongside his faithful friend. Amidst unearthed relics, Fredrick stumbles upon his locked diary, triggering a chilling revelation.

Within its pages lie secrets of his father's sinister past, fracturing Fredrick's fragile psyche. Unleashed by the diary's opening are dormant spirits—some benevolent, others malevolent. As Fredrick grapples with Dissociative Identity Disorder, his mind splinters into distinct personalities. Amidst this psychological turmoil, a battle of good and evil ensues within the haunted confines of his home. 

Confronting his family's dark truths, Fredrick must navigate the volatile terrain of his own mind. Cryptic messages from a flapper ghost serve as a guide, unraveling his family's sinister history. To survive the malevolent forces unleashed by the diary, Fredrick must confront his inner demons, embracing painful truths and finding strength within. In this supernatural horror tale, the boundary between the paranormal and the psychological blurs, leaving Fredrick to confront the ghosts of his past—and possibly find love along the way.

The spirit of Fredrick’s mom appeared in front of the pantry doors. Like the day before, she wore jeans with a long-sleeved blue t-shirt. Orange conch earrings still dangled from her ears. She narrowed her eyes at them.

“God!” Toni shot to his feet, and Largo jumped off the table and scrambled out of the room.

Chalsey froze, her can halfway to the can opener. 

“I told you it’s none of your business!” Marilyn Smith Anderson snapped. Also like before, her short, permed hair was dyed brown in a perfect imitation of life. “Quit digging around in my life. All three of you have secrets you want to keep. So stay out of mine.” She pointed at the angel figurine collection. “And put my angels back where you found them! I didn’t give you permission to get rid of my possessions.”

The entity vanished. 

Fredrick stared at the empty spot, too numb to panic. Sounds just like her. Can’t be her. But sounds just like her.

Toni had pressed himself into the kitchen corner. 

Chalsey set down the can with a thump, as if her arm muscles gave out.

The electricity popped back on, a dozen electronic devices beeping.

“Well. That happened.” Fredrick turned toward Toni and discovered he was pale and sweating. I bet he’ll leave and never come back. “My life: the sudden horror novel. I write horror. I didn’t expect to live it.”

You already have lived it, said a conversational voice in his mind. That’s why you write it.

Fredrick cringed. Touché. “Okay. Why don’t you go outside into the sunlight?” Behold the power of shock. Now I’m as calm as Chalsey. Or fake calm, anyway. “Can you stand or sit on the grass and ground yourself?”

“Mmm,” was the extent of Toni’s reply. He edged out of the corner, slipped around Fredrick, and shot out the back door. 

“That’s what you saw yesterday?” Chalsey’s tone was sharp.

“Yep.”

Chalsey shook her head. “That’s the most powerful evil entity I have ever seen. Or even heard of.” Her voice was strained. “That has to be the demon.”

“My mom died and became a demon?” Fredrick was only half-joking, and he burst into laughter. “God, that’s amazing!” Even to his own ears, his laughter sounded hysterical. My mom, the demon! 

Abruptly, with no warning inside of himself, Fredrick grabbed an angel off the counter and hurled it at the floor with all his strength. It shattered, tiny white shards flying everywhere. “You bitch! You tortured me!” 

Chalsey jumped and knocked into the refrigerator. 

“God! Sorry. I’ll clean that up in a minute.” Fredrick raced out the door after Toni, needing fresh air and a large, open space. The blasting heat of the June sun hit Fredrick’s face, and he inhaled the thick, humid air. Get it together, man. You’ve got to get it together. Throwing things like an angry teenager isn’t gonna cut it. 

Fredrick closed his eyes and lifted his face, the sunlight halfway piercing his eyelids. Mother Mary, if you’re real, deliver me.

I’m a quirky English professor with tattoos, piercings, and an addiction to supernatural thriller, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I'm proudly neurodivergent, third gender, and a trauma survivor, all things often reflected in my novels. I have degrees in both English and psychology, both of which inform my writing. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, off-road biking, and pyrography.  

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Book Blast: The Perfume of War by Garrick Jones

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Perfume of War

Author: Garrick Jones

Publisher: Tellwell Publications

Cover Artist: Garrick Jones

Release Date:  November 25, 2024

Genres: Crime Thriller, WW2 Spy Thriller

Themes: Historical Crime fiction, WW2; Spies/Action/Thriller

Heat Rating: 2 flames

Length: 134 000 words/420 pages (paperback version)

It is Book #4 in the Seventh of December Series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Amazon AU  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Smashwords

“Please donate generously to Mrs. Roosevelt’s charity. Every penny raised from this series of concerts along the eastern coast of the United States will help with the resettlement and care of child refugees from war-torn continental Europe.”

Over dinner with J Edgar Hoover in Washington, Tommy Haupner is shocked to learn that his forgotten and empty Swiss bank account has been topped up regularly with staggering sums of money … deposits that originate in Nazi Germany. Could this bank account have something to do with anonymous letters posted to him at home in London, their contents a single blank slip of paper on which are written two words: NAZI GOLD?

When he returns to Britain, he soon discovers that not only is his own life in danger but also those of his nearest and dearest who become pawns in a savage game of revenge.

I knew he’d tell me if he knew anything; we’d pledged never to keep secrets after our first foray behind enemy lines in early 1941.

“All right, I’m listening,” I said.

“I’ve been told not to bring anything. No personal items and no documents, not even a toothbrush.”

“Uh-oh,” I said. That sort of deployment, where clothes, right down to underwear, toiletries and everything else would be supplied, indicated that whatever the mission was going to be, it wouldn’t be a local training course. “How long will you be away? Any idea?”

“Minimum three weeks, maybe more. That’s all I know.”

“I know duty calls, but what a shame. I was looking forward to having dinner with you again at Xavier’s. And your parents will be very disappointed; I know they were excited about travelling to Washington for the presentation of your Silver Star.”

“Yeah, I know, babe. Me too. I’ve just finished writing a letter. Will you give it to them?”

He must have seen the sudden change in my face, because he laughed softly then pulled me down on to his lap.

“No, it’s not one of those sorts of letters, Tommy. I just want to let them know how sorry I am not to be able to catch up this trip, but I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity. Who knows: maybe this secret mission might be in the USA.”

We both knew that that was hardly likely to be the case. Reporting for deployment with absolutely no personal items except the clothes you were wearing indicated a place, or a situation, where the threat of capture was a reality. My mind ran quickly through the possibilities: occupied France or Italy were top of my list.

“What about your niece’s birthday party?” I asked. “I know she had something special planned that included both of us.”

“Helene will cope. I’ll put five dollars for her in the letter to Mom and Pop.”

“Money isn’t the same as a present. I’ll see if I can find something from us both when I get there.”

“Tommy …”

“Yes?”

“We knew a day like this would come. I’m not being dramatic or anything, but we’ve been so lucky so far. We’ve talked about what it’s like for everyone else: husbands and wives and lovers separated by the war, families bereft of their sons, wondering where they might be. It’s the life we’re all faced with now and I have to go; I simply don’t have a choice. You understand that, don’t you? And I promise I’m coming back.”

“You’d better, soldier,” I said, willing myself to believe it. Although I was trying to sound calm and collected, inside I felt more than a little anxious. Yes, we’d known a day like this would come, but I’d wished with all my might that it never would. I had no qualms about being sent away myself, but Shorty … well, that was a different thing altogether.

“Have you eaten?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

“Well, the family’s out having dinner with your uncle Otto, so …”

“So what?” I asked.

“I brought ham, cheese and a loaf of fresh white bread home from the embassy—even a slab of butter, believe it or not. Fancy a sandwich, naked, in the dark, mister?”

It was a crazy thing to do, but our relationship had been filled with small madnesses. Wearing just our garters and socks, we sat on the kitchen table eating ham and cheese sandwiches, washing it down with glasses of milk, also purloined from the embassy kitchen. He’d brought home enough for everyone else too, including a spare large bottle of the almost-impossible-to-obtain white stuff.

With a soft burp he wiped the milk moustache from his upper lip; I was about to do the same but he stopped me. “Let me, Tommy,” he whispered low in his throat, and wiped it away with the flat of his tongue.

I knew the family wouldn’t return unexpectedly and catch us in the kitchen, so I pushed him on to his back on the kitchen table. Not wanting to waste our last evening together for another month, I got to work on him, promising my man a good hour at least of looking after him.

“An hour, Tommy?” he said, laughing into my mouth.

“Who says it only has to be once?” I replied as I kissed my way down his body.

From the outback to the opera.

After a thirty-year career as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world, I took up a position as lecturer in music in Australia in 1999, at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which is now part of CQ University.

Brought up in Australia, between the bush and the beaches of the Eastern suburbs, I retired in 2015 and now live in the tropics, writing, gardening, and finally finding time to enjoy life and to re-establish a connection with who I am after a very busy career on the stage and as an academic.

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