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When the Smoke Clears is a M/M romance anthology featuring Australian and New Zealand authors who came together with one goal in mind—to do whatever they could to help in the fight against the severe Australian bushfires of this summer. The result is twelve short stories showing the breadth and depth of the struggle and the indomitable spirit of the everyday heroes caught in the middle of it. From a teenaged boy and his horse, to volunteer firefighters, a reporter, several vets, a librarian, and a helicopter pilot—all fighting for survival and the ones they love.

 

The anthology will be available for March in ebook and paperback and all proceeds will go to the Country Fire Authority (Victoria) (https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/home) and Wildlife Victoria (https://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/).

 

Purchase links . . .

Universal Link

Amazon

Smashwords (epub) 

 

To whet your appetite, here are the opening lines from each of the stories . . .

 

“A Little Bit Like Love” by Ann Grech

The council chambers was packed. I looked around the table at my fellow councillors. Carter Vaughn, a local property developer, was talking out ears off.

 

“High Alert” By Becca Seymour

Ross

It could be mistaken for fog, the visibility so low I was sure if I reached out, my hand would disappear. The acrid scent of burnt trees was the dead giveaway, though. It was too close for comfort. Too real.

 

“Safe in His Arms” by Bronwyn Heeley

“Fuck.”

I was startled by the noise coming from behind the wheel. For some reason, we had ended up alone in the back truck of the convoy leaving this area. The winds were shifting, and it was a big fear we were about to be hit.

 

“Every Picture Tells a Story” by LJ Harris

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

100+ FIRES BURNING IN NSW AND VICTORIA

JACK SWEENEY

“Anyone home?”

“In the kitchen!” called the familiar voice of my father.

Smile stretched wide, I headed towards the back of the house, setting down my backpack and several bags of groceries onto the kitchen bench.

 

“Flying Embers” by LJ Hayward

Logan Star had flown his Bell 407 helicopter over the Blue Mountains hundreds of times. He’d seen them in every season, day and night, sun and rain. When the slopes were blue and green and brown or dusted in snow. There were few sights as beautiful as sunset across the heights, when the horizon was streaked in orange, pink, and indigo, or when low hanging clouds fell through the peaks like slow-motion waterfalls.

 

“New Years Day” by Lisa Henry

The sky turns black when the fire comes, and Elliott didn’t expect that. The past few days have been red-hazed, as though someone’s slid a filter over Elliott’s entire universe, but now it’s as dark as night and everything is louder than Elliott thought it would be.

 

“After the Blaze” by Louisa Masters

Have you ever felt completely and utterly helpless? Not for yourself—for someone else. Forced to stand by and watch them suffer, unable to do anything to help?

 

“Smoke and Ash” by Meg Bawden

Cameron

I know he’ll be called out before the phone rings. The smell of smoke taints the air, lingering like a forewarning. When his mobile does chime in a happy tune, I take a deep breath and pad into the lounge room to see him answer it. His face is tired, the hard lines around his eyes more evident than they were two years ago.

 

“Wild Heat” by Naomi Aoki

Smoke drifted on the air and blanketed the wildlife park in a thin layer of ash. There wasn’t a part of the family-owned wildlife park Lyam managed free of its ever-threatening presence and it had only grown stronger as the bushfires race ever closer.

 

“Facing the Heat” by Nic Starr

The view of the backyard, once green with hints of bright colour as far as the eye could see, was now barren.

 

“When Sparks Fly” by TA Bellmond

“You’re going to fuck up your make-up.”

I roll my eyes behind my raised hands. I’ve had my fill of depressing, blackened, smoking landscape, and just want a brief reprieve before having to deal with it again.

 

“Cinders” by Zoe Piper

The acrid stench of smoke grew stronger as the doors to the clinic were pushed open, admitting three men in soot-stained turnout gear, their boots leaving grimy marks on the worn linoleum.