Category: fiction

Indie books I read in 2025

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

I just can’t get into them. I find the characters hollow, the plots too focused on trauma, and I keep quitting them partway through.

I’m unfortunately talking about the last ten times I tried to read mainstream literary fiction.

I hope you didn’t think I was talking about indie i.e. self-published books. My favourites this year have all been indie published.

Here’s a list of what I read (with some very subjective commentary. There’s a reason I stay out of online review spaces and why I’m not tagging any of these authors in my post.)

The Flowered Blade – by Taylor Hubbard (trans hypertwink elf prince subverts his orc captor’s expectations and gets absolutely railed for his trouble. A queer fantasy fan favorite, but Taylor pls see me after class re: filter words)

Disasterology 101 – by Taylor Donovan (surprisingly strong, a powerful portrait of extreme OCD, though the ending felt abrupt)

Geist Fleish – by Christian Baines (A five-book series’ worth of horny supernatural story set in Weimar Germany and crushed into a novella. Insultingly short, I require another hundred thousand words pls)

What a Nobleman Needs – by Merry Farmer (Peak Merry Farmer, as Regency noblemen boink their way through a comedy of errors with a side of mortal peril)

The Full Moon Problem – by Kay Claire (Charming story about a shy werewolf and a trans herb witch. First person present tense is not my favorite POV)

A Boy Called Rainbow – by Robin Knight (I wanted more from this premise of a deaf artist and an uptight appraiser, but I ended up skimming the last 1/3 of the book)

Junker Seven – by Olive J. Kelley (top tier, excellent space-chase themed sci-fi with a heavy dose of trans politics)

Peter and the Wolves – by Merry Farmer (ABSOLUTE FILTH but, like, really good. Fantasy setting, endless gay sex, it may have reshaped my frontal cortex *PLEASE NOTE * does not contain wolves)

They Were Roommates – by D.C. Emerson (sweet trans guy 4bi guy slowwwwwburn omg just kiss you ding-dongs)

Nine-Tenths – by J.M. Frey (I never knew where this book was headed, every plot point was a heavy hitter. Out of these, this is one that I might read again. Especially when Book 2 comes out)

My first read of 2026 is a Sapphic rom com rewrite of Pride and Prejudice set at a romantasy cosplay event. Honestly, how could it be bad?

I’ll have lots of time to catch up on my TBRs (virtual and physical) next month while I’m recovering from a medical procedure which I am not talking about in detail (yet) though if I’m bringing it up here I’m clearly okay with discussing it. Later, because it’s going to be a long story. 2026 is literally the year that everything changes.

Neurodiversity in Queer Romance: the anthology

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

Let’s start the year with something exciting! Well, I find it exciting, but it’s rare to be asked to write a story where a character’s neurodiversity makes a difference. 🏳️‍🌈

The Neurodivergence in Queer Romance BookFunnel Promotion aims to increase accurate, authentic, compassionate, and respectful representation of the vast and varied neurodivergent experience.

Discover brand new novellas celebrating neurodivergence in queer romance, now available for free! All stories are by a queer neurodivergent author and feature various neurodiverse and queer representation. These are only available to download until January 31.

There’s something for everyone — authors you know and love, authors sharing their debuts, stories from many subgenres, and a range of angst and spice levels.

My book ‘The Worst Boss in the World’ is an enemies-to-employee-to-lovers romance about a strangely compassionate supervillain and the desperate, dangerous man he can’t resist.

Despised by his criminal family, rejected by the law-abiding, Leo Blofeld needs a break. Like a job as a wealthy supervillain’s personal assistant. Not just for the paycheck but for the chance to get his hands on Desmond Desolate’s assets, his wealth, his obliviousness. Just what Leo needs to show up his arrogant family while he puts his plans for vengeance into action.

New to the villainy game, Desmond didn’t realize when he hired an assistant that he was getting a nervy, angry, savage little narcissist with a hunger for submission and an overpowered vendetta. A hatred based on nothing, at least from Desmond’s point of view.

Someone broke Leo, made him hate the world. Made him distrust everyone. Even himself. Something’s making Desmond want to patch him back together.

🏳️‍🌈 Learn more about each book at https://tinyurl.com/ndiqr-info

🏳️‍🌈 Download all of January’s books at https://books.bookfunnel.com/neurodivergenceinqueerromance/f1vshns6ec

And look for another announcement in February for even more original books in Part 2 of this amazing event.

A Visual Novel for the Psyche with Ultra Trash Dog

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

Sign-ups for my Indie Author Spotlight are open to every kind of author! We recently featured the poetry of DAJ 2020, and today we’re dipping into a surreal visual novel by the creator Ultra Trash Dog. This is an ongoing web serial with multiple storylines and some truly strange vibes, but hey, maybe you’re into that sort of thing (I know I am.)

Psych Ward in the Sky

From the author’s bio:

Nice to meet you! I’m ultratrashdog and I’m a solo game developer. I write, draw, code and make music. I’m the author of Psych Ward In The Sky, an online yaoi visual novel with a very silly transmasc MC Senj.

This MM romance is a slice of life: sci-fi/fantasy, with trans representation, kinky erotica, horror, drama… It’s wholesome and silly, but also contains material that may be disturbing. It’s raw and has some sharp edges, and touches a few disturbing topics.

It’s free to read/play on the official website: www.psych-ward-in-the-sky.com

All Bets are Off with Kelly Reynolds

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

Sports romance is having a moment right now thanks to the Crave series Heated Rivalry, based on the book by fellow Canadian author Rachel Reid. But hockey’s not the only game in town (see what I did there?) Baseball has its own rituals, its own heroes, and a lot of tight pants and hands on crotches, just saying…

All Bats are Off

ALL BATS ARE OFF is a spicy MM novella (25k+ words) set in the Rose City Roasters universe. This one night stand-to-lovers romance between a thicc (with two c’s) bisexual baseball player who loves bread almost as much as blowjobs, and a gay, long-haired sports journalist with a pierced peen, features drag queen Bingo, braiding hair as a love language, county fair food porn, hotel bathtub hook-ups, and an almost entirely LGBTQIA+ cast of characters.

From the author’s bio:

By day, Kelly Reynolds works primarily as a freelance writer, professor, and author’s assistant. By night, she hosts the comedic romance novel review podcast, Boobies & Noobies. Since receiving her MFA in Screenwriting in 2016, she’s worked with several casting, development, and production companies and contributed to programs appearing on such networks as MTV, ABC, Hallmark, GSN and Netflix. Originally hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, she currently lives in Portland, Oregon and spends the bulk of her time dreaming up sexy romcoms about fierce, fat girls falling in love.

Find Kelly here: https://substack.com/@authorkellyrey

Find out more about her book All Bats are Off here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230070367-all-bats-are-off

“…my only want is MORE!!”

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

Like a lot of authors, I try not to read too many reviews of my work. Reader opinions are wildly subjective, and what one reader might think of as a spicy little romance is to another reader smut-fueled trash (but they mean it as a compliment.) I have caught myself calling certain books “sweet” even though they contain corpses, betrayals, panic, trauma, and someone getting seriously blown up. YMMV.

But sometimes you actually ask for feedback, and I will hang my hat on this particular bit, because what do you mean I made you binge my book???

https://www.mmromancereviewed.com/2025/12/the-single-life-by-will-forrest.html

Heather runs one of the best queer romance blogs around and is the convener of the Northern Rainbow Readers & Writers event in Toronto. She’s a huge booster of MM and other types of queer romance, so much that I did in fact thank her in the acknowledgements for The Single Life.

And honestly, I needed this review. This year has kicked the crap out of me so it’s nice to know that my writing is connecting with people. Maybe there’s hope for me yet…

The Single Life is available from fine ebook retailers everywhere and on paperback from Amazon.

Passion and Peril with C.G. Macington

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

Surely we’re not scared of a little infection, right?

If you like some chills with your thrills and some panic in your plots, C.G. Macington has you covered with this thrilling story that will have you on the edge of your seat (or maybe hiding under the blankets!) But sometimes love thrives under pressure…

Outbreak Protocol

One doctor saves lives from behind a screen. The other saves them with his hands. When the world ends, they are each other’s only hope.

Dr. Felix Müller trusts his gut, and his gut tells him the horrifying new illness tearing through his Hamburg ER is no ordinary flu. When his superiors ignore the mounting body count, Felix risks his career on a single, desperate email to a reclusive, brilliant epidemiologist who is his last resort.

Dr. Erik Lindqvist trusts in data, not gut feelings. For the reclusive scientist, emotions are a liability. He arrives in Hamburg expecting to correct a flawed analysis, but instead finds a city on the brink of collapse and a frontline doctor whose fiery compassion threatens to shatter the walls around his heart.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, the two men are the city’s first and last line of defense. But as the virus consumes Hamburg and military law is declared, their professional friction ignites into a desperate and dangerous intimacy. In the quiet moments between disasters, they find a connection that could be their only comfort—or a fatal distraction.

As the death toll climbs and the city is sealed from the world, they are in a desperate race for a cure. But the greatest threat might not be the evolving pathogen—it could be the terrifying choices they are forced to make about how much they are willing to sacrifice… and who.

Outbreak Protocol is a gut-wrenching, epic MM romance set against the backdrop of an apocalyptic medical thriller. A perfect story of opposites attract, hurt/comfort, and the found family that can rise from the ashes of the world. Prepare to have your heart seized.

From the author’s bio:

C.G. Macington is a passionate storyteller from Edmonton, Canada. Specialising in heartwarming gay romance, C.G. explores love, identity, and courage, celebrating the nuances of queer life. With a background in arts and creative writing, he crafts narratives that resonate deeply with readers. When not writing, C.G. enjoys reading and spending time with his partner of eleven years.

Find C.G.’s books here: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/author/B0CM73SPDF/allbooks

Read Outbreak Protocol here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FMDWBQCQ

A look back to the very first Indie Author Spotlight with Kashel Char

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

Though I’ve been swapping mentions with authors since I started my readers club newsletter (one of the best ways to start building subscribers) I only started the Spotlight earlier this year. Kashel Char was my first author, and I’m always intrigued with their daring approach to science fiction and romance and the ways these can intersect. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, but I could kind of go for being a blue-skinned alien’s intergalactic mate. Seems like I’d have to do a lot less laundry.

Kidding aside, indie authors are the vanguard of the publishing industry and I will not be taking questions, you can just take that as a fact. No one is more inventive, daring, or diverse, and I love that for us.

From the author’s bio:

I am a Canadian speculative fiction author, writing in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal.

My writing explores who we are, where we come from, and where we are going as a human race on Earth. 

I enjoy weaving and exploring questions and subjects about our history and origin by creating new, exciting worlds and characters. My stories are unpredictable, twisted with a dash of humor, and centered on gay characters. 

You will question your existence among these worlds and wish you could escape to these places filled with foul-mouthed heroes who struggle and strive to save humankind.

I hope you’ve discovered something that excites and intrigues you. Please share your thoughts by leaving a review, visiting my website, or contacting me to learn more about my latest works.


Discover Kashel’s books here: https://kashelchar.com/

Now playing on the Historical Romance Sampler podcast…

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

We’re back with another author profile except this one’s about…me!

Catch my interview and reading on Katherine Grant’s podcast The Historical Romance Sampler, where we talk about the power of fiction and why Jessica is the best Sweet Valley High twin. As well I read from my gay Regency romance An Inconvenient Earl.

(Please enjoy this sarcastic promo image, because apparently putting the word ‘Gay’ on your book cover isn’t enough of an indicator for some people who think queer identities should come with a trigger warning.)

Find my episode here (or search for Historical Romance Sampler on your favorite podcast service): https://katherinegrantromance.com/historical-romance-sampler-podcast/will-forrest-samples-an-inconvenient-earl

“You open your safe and find ashes.”

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

As authors, we are constantly on the receiving end of all sorts of advice about how to promote our work, much of which rely on magical thinking and/or spending a lot of money (or both.) Selling books in person, selling books at a discount, selling yourself as a brand, but for pure return on your investment, nothing beats giving away free books.

I’m not handing out paperbacks on the street, but I’m not the only one who believes in the power of free. Attract abundance by being abundant. Give books to everyone who wants one: that’s how you win fans for life.

Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”

― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

Readers win too, because *ahem* book tastes are subjective. I honestly don’t expect everyone in the world to enjoy what I write. I would rather you read my free stories and decide that my work isn’t to your liking than make you pay money for a book that you end up hating. Costco has it right: give away as many free samples as you can. Your fans will find their way to you.

Visit my Free Reads page for bonus material from my series and some standalone shorts. I’ll be adding to the page in the next few months as I build up to the release of a series I’ve been working on for ten years. Mary Mac and her band of merry perverts have some deep lore, y’all. I have stories for years.

Why do they hate us?

~ Will Forrest ~ Leave a comment

So, it’s like that, is it? You really want to read this book that badly, huh? All I did was casually post the meme that inspired it and my Threads blew up. At least compared to my normal bookish content.

I don’t expect any of my other book promo posts to do this well. The mysterious entity we refer to as the social media algorithm (but which is really a bunch of underpaid staffers supporting their billionaire employer’s fascist ideology) doesn’t want to see us win, and will crush your reach if it senses even the slightest chance that you’re going to reach people organically.

Good thing I had a review copy link ready to give people. Even so, I wish I had set up pre-orders, because not everyone wants the responsibility of a review copy. JK there is zero responsibility. I just want people to read the damn thing.

So if you like queer romance full of disaster gays making bad decisions and learning to get over them, adorable twinks who don’t understand how many people want to cherish them, and the trope I like to call Oblivious-to-Lovers where two best friends (who occasionally bang) realize that this is what love looks like for them: I got you, babe.

OMG yes I want to read this book.