This is a very short, fun interlude in the Hiding Behind The Couch series. Unlike the rest of the series, which is written in third-person (semi-omniscient) past tense, this short story is written in first-person present tense. It has no real bearing on anything else that happens in the series. It is what it is: an Easter Egg. It is entirely self-indulgent, for which I make no apologies. ~ Deb ~ * * * * * NOTE: this story should be read after Reunions (Season Seven).
Journey back to childhood, where the buds of friendship blossom; take a peek into the lives of the primary schoolchildren who would become...The Circle. A prequel to the Hiding Behind The Couch books. As the title suggests, this short story focuses on the early school days, long before the birth of the full 'Circle' - a series of sectors, if you will. Contains no real spoilers, so can be read independently of the rest of the series and in any order. "A very sweet short story of blossoming friendships and childhood traumas." "...a wonderful, engaging story that made me feel good inside.... Highly recommended for readers who love richly written characters and clever dialogue." * * * * * WARNING: this story deals with themes of child sexual abuse, sudden infant death, and parents' marriage breakdown due to infidelity. All issues are written about sensitively and in a way that is intended to be accessible for children aged ten and above.
London: December, 1981. A White Christmas is on the cards, but as the temperature drops, the pressure on Arty mounts. He’s got far too much planned in the coming days to have it all buried under a mountain of snow. Between his retirement surprise for Jim and the Christmas party at the dance school, Arty might need to curtail his daydreaming a little to ensure everything comes together. Still, if all else fails, at least he and Jim have each other to keep them warm through the impending blizzard. Note: this story follows on from When Skies Have Fallen and as such contains spoilers for anyone who has not read the novel.
Huddled in a doorway, unseen by the men passing on great horses, Meredith watched from within the hood of her cloak. The pain of the cold, wet morning impaled her, rooting her in place, even as the cat rubbed against her shins with a force that should have felled her. She shooed him away. Go home. But he would not. She wished she had died that night. She wished she had died, for to live like this was not to live at all. * * * When Richie Moorcroft takes a housekeeping position to finance his studies, it means moving back to his childhood home: an ancient, almost-derelict cottage locals claim is haunted. But he never believed those stories; he knows where they came from, and in any case, he has a job to do: keeping nineteen-year-old Julian Denby on the straight and narrow without Julian realising his wealthy parents are paying Richie to do so. Luckily, Julian’s not very astute, although the same can’t be said for their newest housemates: Richie’s bestie, Anneke, and Julian’s older sister, Tamara. Add in George, the cat who appeared from nowhere and is in no hurry to leave, and that makes five…about to uncover the sinister history of their new home.
Three years after the death of his civil partner, DCI Gray Fisher is finally ready to make the break from the police. For too long, he has used his work as a means of survival; now, he’s looking forward to a nice, quiet life in academia. Investment banker Will Richards is a walking, talking contradiction. With his love of surfing and his farmhouse menagerie of rescue animals, he’s far removed from Gray’s idea of the perfect man, but that’s ‘not a problem’. Gray wants nothing more than friendship, and Will seems happy to accept that. After all, with his mum’s illness and resigning from his job, he’s got enough on his plate already. Assuming, of course, he’s telling the truth. When former colleague, Rob Simpson-Stone, asks for Gray’s help with a case of a destitute banker who faked his own death, Gray is understandably reluctant to get involved…until Rob reveals the identity of one of the suspects.
After years of working for the police—both as a beat bobby and undercover—Rob Simpson-Stone is moving on with no regrets. It may be too late to rescue his marriage, but his relationship with his seven-year-old son, Lucas, is back on track. Rob’s grown-up nieces might be a taller order, but he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to prove they no longer need to worry that one day he won’t come home. Fate, however, has different ideas. When Rob fails to arrive at his leaving do, his former boss/new PI business partner Gray Fisher can’t understand why nobody else is worried Rob is MIA, never mind that Gray is pointlessly missing out on a night in with Will. As the reasons behind the night’s events unfold, Gray’s past recklessness threatens to catch up with him, putting those he holds close in danger and forcing both Rob and Gray to forge reluctant alliances.
Simon is young and handsome. To the people around him, he looks like he’s got it all—money, looks, a future with a wife… All mapped out by his parents. But Simon is gay. And Simon is high. And when Simon sees his fake girlfriend Jess alongside a boy called Taz, suddenly all the choices explode. Will Simon follow his orders? Or will he follow his heart? *** A fully stand-alone short story - part of Hiding Behind The Couch. For readers of the series, this coincides with Ruminations. Part of Take a Chance Anthology.
Saorla Tierney’s sons are conspiring against her, and at their age, they should know better. After all, she’s nearly seventy-one herself, and, quite frankly, whether she still ‘has needs’ is none of their business. OK, so, maybe she was a bit harsh with Sean when all he did was ask if she and Aileen wanted a double hotel room. And of course she feels bad for biting Finn’s head off when he was only having a wee joke. Between her grandson’s unconventional baptism and the decades-long feud between her sons, even with Aileen at her side it’s not as easy a decision as they seem to think. Or maybe it is. Saorla doesn’t know anymore, and until she’s sure… * * * * * To Be Sure is a stand-alone, novella-length character special in the Hiding Behind The Couch series. Chronologically, it comes a couple of months after the end of Reunions (Season Seven) and coincides with the ending of Reverberations.
When English Lit. student Jesse Thomas meets Leigh Hunter, he has to reconsider a few assumptions he's made about himself. Two years ago, Jesse joined Pride—the uni’s LGBT+ society—to support best friend Noah, and Noah’s boyfriend, Matty. As a straight, cismale ally, Jesse keeps a low profile—not difficult for someone as shy and body-conscious as he is. Leigh Hunter is Noah and Matty’s new housemate. Born with a life-threatening congenital condition, Leigh is intersex and identifies as queer—none of which alters Jesse’s conviction that they are the most beautiful person in the world. While Jesse and Leigh get to know each other, a new academic year begins in earnest, bringing with it the usual challenge of balancing work and play. Add in a week’s holiday in Cornwall that Jesse and Leigh half-wish they hadn’t agreed to, Jesse’s unplanned involvement in the election of Pride’s new officers, and some big decisions for Noah and Matty, it’s going to be an interesting semester all round. NOTE: this is a stand-alone novel, but you might wish to read the series in order. *** In the Checking Him Out Series Checking Him Out (Book One - Sol and Adam) Checking Him Out For The Holidays (Novella - Sol and Adam) Hiding Out (Novella - A crossover featuring Matty and Noah, and Josh, George and Libby from Hiding Behind The Couch) Taking Him On (Book Two - Noah and Matty) Checking In (Book Three - Sol and Adam) The Making of Us (Book Four - Jesse and Leigh)
The story of George and Josh - two little boys who became best friends...two adolescents who stayed best friends...two young adults with secrets that might change their friendship forever. Josh and George have always shared the special bond of friendship. From days in primary school, to holidays spent riding their bikes along the canal, theirs is a promise to remain best friends forever. But can that promise withstand the trials of adolescence, and the changes in their feelings towards each other? NOTE: this is a fully stand-alone story, but it contains significant spoilers for anyone reading the Hiding Behind The Couch series, and should be read after The Harder They Fall (season three).
