Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Smoke Signals by Meredith Katz

Smoke Signals

"This totally charming and captivating take on St. George and the Dragon stole my heart from the outset. Enchanting!"

"My only complaint about Smoke Signals is that I want more. I want to know more about the world that Katz created where dragons and humans exist together, of which we only got a narrow, tantalizing glimpse with Mike and Zali'thurg's enchanting tale. Smoke Signals set off a chain reaction of "what ifs" for me, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm seriously considering some fanfiction... "

Mike St. George's average life as tech support for a game distribution company becomes unexpectedly eventful when he's sent to the home of an aristocratic, self-centered dragon and left in charge of installing and protecting the digital side of the dragon's hoard of games.

But a job's a job. And while the blue-blooded Zali'thurg might be egotistical and prideful, Mike's wrangled worse customers. At least this one's pretty cute, even if it's in an apex predator sort of way…

An M/M urban fantasy romance. Classes and personalities clash when a customer service agent ends up helping a sexy billionaire shapeshifting dragon. Geeky, cute, and featuring kittens, knitting, and learning to navigate boundaries.

Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Blyd and Pearce by Kim Fielding

Blyd and Pearce

"It's very rare that a story captures my attention the way this one did. It was phenomenal, captivating, enthralling and quite entertaining. I loved both MCs, the story flows quite perfectly and I could actually see in my mind the scenery. Amazing plot! A perfect 10 from me."

Born into poverty and orphaned young, Daveth Blyd had one chance for success when his fighting prowess earned him a place in the Tangye city guard—a place he lost to false accusations of theft. Now he scrapes out a living searching for wayward spouses and missing children. When a nobleman offers him a small fortune to find an entertainer who’s stolen a ring, Daveth takes the case.

While Jory Pearce may or may not be a thief, he certainly can’t be trusted. But, enchanted by Jory’s beauty and haunting voice, Daveth soon finds himself caught in the middle of a conspiracy. As he searches desperately for answers, he realizes that he’s also falling for Jory. The two men face river wraiths, assassins, a necromancer, and a talking head that could be Daveth’s salvation on their quest for the truth. But with everyone’s integrity in question and Death eager to dance, Daveth will need more than sorcery to survive.