XS Fiction Novella Anthology 2014: ( Personal Demons / The One in the Many / Dancing with Deception / The Flowers, The Skulls, and The Empty Hearts / Protagonist's Antagonist ) (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

Personal Demons A priest feels as though his flock is losing faith in him, but after a run-in with a Demon who personifies lust, he realizes that his poor delivery might not be the only thing that causes his flock to wander. Personal Demons covers a priest's erotic story about his small town being overrun with sin demons. Matthew, the priest, has to work to cleanse the town of demons and prevent their spread, all while trying to keep his own lust in check. The One in the Many A member of a society of genetically modified clones enlists the help of an on-the-run hitman, Lee, to help save his race from one man’s enslavement. The clone explains to Lee that this one person managed to enslave them because the clones share a single consciousness. Since their memories spread out through their entire existence, they do not wish to taint the future clones’ memories with violence and death. Lee takes the job in exchange for living on their sanctuary hidden from those who will hurt him. However, complications arise when Lee asks for the clone’s name. When the clone tries to explain that they have no separate entities, the Many that make up the race decide to name him Christopher. Lee fails to realize that the name is a sign of isolation from the Many. When he begins to grow romantically attached to the clone, he begins to realize that his friendship with Christopher comes with consequences. Dancing with Deception Reese Lockhart is given the opportunity to work as an assassin with a big-time employer, Cain. If he succeeds at the job, it means he will never have to look for work again. If he fails at the job, well, let's just say he's not going to let that happen. But complications arise when his hit, a drug distributor named Guerrero, proves to be difficult to assassinate and even more difficult for Reese not to like. While in disguise, Reese finds himself wanting to show more of his true self to his hit, and despite the dangers of doing so, he reveals himself to Guerrero. He worries the drug distributor might be the one person on his hit list that would be better off alive than dead, but dead is what they will both likely be if Reese tries to save his hit. The Flowers, The Skulls, and The Empty Hearts A homicide detective, Peter Chu, investigates the murder of a fellow officer that has the M.O. of an assistant named The Dane who works for the Russian mob. The Dane, however, is a childhood friend of Peter, and, while he believes he's innocent of this crime, they haven't spoken or seen each other in person since high school when Peter confessed he liked him. Peter tires to decide how to handle his former crush being the prime suspect of a murder while trying to convince his current partner, Adam Fallon, to marry him. Adam, while supportive of Peter believing that the Dane is innocent, consistently turns down Peter's marriage proposals. Peter spends this novella trying to prove the Dane's innocence while working to make his relationship with Adam work despite trying to protect a person he never really got over. Protagonist’s Antagonist Marshall Blue arrests a young and snippy gun runner named Ricky Doyle. When Doyle refuses to give up information about his boss, Isaac Horne, Marshall interrogates and tortures Doyle for the information. In the process, Marshall admires Doyle for his determination and strength, but fails to convince him to join his agency. Five years later, Marshall is captured and under the thumb of Horne, Doyle’s boss. Doyle now interrogates Marshall in between Isaac’s relentless torture. However, Doyle’s interrogation of Marshall appears as kindness when contrasted against Isaac’s treatment, and as he slowly loses his mind and memories, he begins to become infatuated with him. Doyle, in the meantime, grows tired of Isaac’s treatment of Marshall and finds his feelings for him growing. These novellas contain explicit gay and sometimes heterosexual sex. In some works the sex is dubious or n