The recent murder of American citizens in Minnesota by ICE has upset people around the globe. We realize many of us write as a way to cope with such violence, and we know it's hard to write when it seems the world around us is falling apart. However, our words are a resistance to tyranny and fear, and we must stand against hatred and bigotry in any way we can. With that in mind, this anthology was created.
Love Has No Boundaries celebrates queer love in all its forms, embracing love regardless of nationality. Whether a quiet night in or a loud night out, in this world or another, in the past, present, or future, this collection embraces how enduring same sex love can be, in any and every shade under the LGBTQIA umbrella.
Featuring never before published work from 23 authors, Love Has No Boundaries is a collaborative effort whose entire proceeds will go to the International Institute of Minnesota in their ongoing campaign to provide immigrants and refugees in Minnesota with urgently needed legal services, up to date information, and resources to stay safe during this frightening time. All the work in the collection, including the editing, has been donated. This stunning anthology will be a charitable keepsake whose message of love regardless of gender will endure beyond the current political strife threatening to tear us apart.
Authors included in this anthology are: Shawn Bailey, Ernestine Coleman, David Connor and E.F. Mulder, Eule Grey, La Toya Hankins, Dianne Hartsock, Pat Henshaw, Drew Hunt, Rafe Jadison, M.W. Lee, Pamela Mae, Carol Holland March, K.S. Murphy, K.L. Noone, Pelaam, Mere Rain, Anne Russo, Feral Sephrian, J.M. Snyder, Ellie Thomas, Tinnean, Emery C. Walters, and Michael Watson.
EXCERPT FROM "Different" by Shawn Bailey:
Ren sat up with a start. Where was he? It was dark, but some light came in through the window. He heard a sound. He wasn’t alone.
“Don’t be scared,” someone said to him.
Ren looked around. A young man around his age appeared. Ren backed away.
“It’s okay, Ren. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Ren froze in place. “You know my name?”
The other young man nodded. “You’re trending on television and social media.”
“Where am I?”
“In my warehouse,” the other young man said. “Oh, by the way, my name is Haruto Tanaka.”
Haruto was taller than him. He was a handsome young man with short black hair and gray eyes. Most Asians were born with brown ones. There had to be a foreigner in his lineage.
“You’re an omega?”
“Yes.”
Ren looked for the bracelet. “You’re unregistered?”
“Yes,” Haruto said. He offered Ren a plate of food. “I’ve been on the run for five years.” He sat down on the floor across from Ren.
He accepted the plate. “Thank you. Five years?” Ren asked as he pondered the possibility. “And you’re still here in Tokyo?”
Haruto nodded.
“Why?” He sampled the food. It wasn’t much by way of taste, just some rice, root vegetables, and questionable pieces of meat. Ren thought it might be chicken. He wasn’t picky when it came to nourishment. He needed to eat to sustain his body and his mind.
Haruto swallowed the food he’d been chewing. “Why what?”
“Why are you still in town, knowing that the magistrate and his enforcers are on the lookout for unregistered omegas?”
“I stay to help others,” Haruto admitted.
“Others?” Ren asked.
“Other unregistered omegas.”
“How?”
“With food, information and helping them to flee.”
“How?” Ren asked again. “How can you do this? You’re around my age.”
“With the help of others who have access to things we don’t,” Haruto explained.
“Like more people? People who can help me escape this nightmare?”
Haruto nodded. “If that is what you wish.”
“Yes. Why would I want to remain in a place that treats omegas as lesser beings?”
“I understand,” Haruto said. “How do you plan to accomplish this? Do you have any idea where you want to go?”
Ren shook his head. “No to both questions. I only know what I’ve heard through rumors. That there is a place outside of Tokyo where we will be accepted without fear of being chained and brought back here to be reformed.”
“I have heard the same rumors,” Haruto said. “Though I have helped countless others to leave Tokyo, no one has ever returned or called to say that they had made it safely.”
“I take that as a positive,” Ren said. “Can you help me?”
Haruto finished eating before he spoke. “I can try. But I need to know some things about you.”
“Like what?” Ren asked.
“Why aren’t you registered?”
“Like some, I wasn’t born an omega. I was a beta. It happened through secondary differential.”
“How old were you when it happened?” Haruto asked.
“Sixteen. Instead of registering me, my step-mother convinced my father that it would be better to sell me off at an illegal auction.” He stopped talking for a moment. “Why aren’t you shocked?”
Haruto shrugged. “Your story is not too different than mine. My parents decided to arrange a marriage for me to a rich alpha. They didn’t bother to register me because I would bring a better price if I was innocent, if you get my drift.”
Ren nodded. “Did you marry him?”
Haruto shook his head. “I ran before I met him.”
“Are they still looking for you?” Ren asked.
“I suppose so. He paid fifty thousand dollars for me,” Haruto said. He paused. “Do you think your parents are still searching for you?”
Ren shrugged. “I continued to live and work in Tokyo until recently.”
“You were outed?”
“Yeah, by a coworker. My scent patch failed. I ran before the authorities were called.”
“What about your apartment? Did you try to go there?”
Ren shook his head. “I was afraid that was the first place they would search for me.” He paused. “I always carry my most important papers with me, you know birth certificate and phone numbers. Anything else is replaceable.” He put the empty plate aside. He must have been hungrier than he thought he was. “Thanks for the food.”
“You’re welcome. Are you sleepy?”
Ren shook his head. “That nap was enough. Now tell me how things work around here. When can I meet the others? How soon can I leave Tokyo?”
“You can meet the others tomorrow, at night. It’s not safe to move around during the day with the enforcers still looking for you.”
“What about the others who are helping you?”
“Their names are Sakura and Luke. They were the ones who found me five years ago.”
“Do they know about me?”
Haruto nodded. “Your face and name have been all over television and the internet. Apparently, Magistrate Inoue is trying to make an example out of you.”
“The man doesn’t even know me.”
“No, maybe not personally, but he knows of you. Pretending to be a beta is illegal in the eyes of the law.”
