A dragon-riding orc prince, a sheltered human scribe, & their 50-ft long dragon. What could go wrong? Strap yourself in for a whimsical ride in this queer cozy healthpunk romantasy adventure taking flight in a Sunless Land!
Love a wholehearted cozy fantasy romcom, full of diverse characters & low-stakes adventure, all served up alongside a generous handful of MM spice?
Absolutely feral about marriages of inconvenience, empathic dragons & their quirkycrews, found family, fantasy road trips, hidden disability representation, cross-cultural communication, the absurdities of language (from a serial immigrant who's had to learn four), diplomacy through trade, & ORCS?
Want to help hatch more MM eBooks, audiobooks, and swoon-worthy collector's editions of spicy MM cozy romantasy?
You bet your green butt you do! So strap yourself in for a whimsical ride through a land of magic, adventure, & of course — dragons.
(The dragon ships it.)
If you are looking for some thrilling account of what it's like to experience that very first flight on the back of a dragon; to see the land drop away below as each beat of the great creature's mighty wings takes you ever higher, then —
I fear my tale may disappoint.
Eyes squeezed tight against the sight I can only imagine awaits me, the bunching of muscles beneath my thighs proves poor warning indeed before a sudden, nauseating lurch sends us soaring into the air. Cradled by the massive arms wrapped securely around me, the orc lord I’d just bound myself to shakes with hearty laughter; his wild whoop only underscoring my distress.
"Do you not think it most [kashreé], my fire?" his deep voice shouts into my ear over the roar of the wind.
Despite my poor understanding of the Éldaren we have been forced to settle upon as a common tongue, the pride and exuberance in his tone are unmistakable. I know I am expected to do the unthinkable, and look.
No.
No, I don't think I will.
“I've never seen anything like it,” I answer my new lord truthfully, swallowing back my stomach's instinctive reaction to the dipping and rising of our impossible mount as it surges higher into the sky.
A dragon-riding orc prince, an out-of-his-depth human scribe, & their 50-ft long empathic dragon. What could go wrong?
The golden age of LGBTQIA+ literature is dawning, as traditional publishers finally wake up to the fact we deserve a complicated, diverse array of characters whose journeys are bigger than a single facet of their identities. Who should get a fighting chance to earn their Happily Ever Afters too, and maybe change their world for the better while they're at it.
I'm an indigiqueer fantasy nerd living with disabilities. Growing up, finding characters even a little like me on the bookshelf who weren't just sidekicks, stereotypical caricatures, or destined to have a tragic ending?
Yeah, good luck.
So I wrote that book. I wrote lots of those books, and I intend to write even more.
But for some folks, text isn't the best method to enjoy a story. Whether because of vision issues, neurodiversity issues (high five to my ADHD peeps), busy schedules, or even just pure personal preference, audiobooks are a way for more people to enjoy my tales — and I think that's pretty rad. But to do it right (because f*ck AI) I need to hire a skilled voice actor. And to make sure they're paid what they're worth, I'm going to need your help bringing this project to life.
But I'm not above bribing y'all to make it happen!
When Summer Comes in Winter's Court(MM Dark Romantasy) # Enemies-AND-Lovers, Monster Fun, Dominance Play, Mer⨯ Fae Cultural...Relations The Archduke of the Winter Court takes a hands-on approach to diplomatic negotiations with the Crown Prince of Summer.
Run, Little Wolf, Run(MM Dark Romantasy) # Chase/Prey, Gods & Myths, Monster Romance, Shifters, Size Differences, Non-Human Morality For he is Garmir, the best of hounds, and there is a hunter on his trail…
Heart of the Mountain King(MM Spicy Cozy Fantasy) # Hurt/Comfort, Magic Lessons, Quest & Riddles, Stonemason⨯ Monster "Go away, little man," Rask grunted at the creature who'd dared to dog a bergsrå's footsteps for the past three days. "Big storm coming. Rask's mountain no place for you."
Surf 'n' Turf Bundle
Bear Ink
Bear Ink (MM Romance) # Rivals-to-Lovers, Tattoo Artist⨯ Tattoo Artist, Small Town, Hurt/Comfort Two lonely men. One mind-blowingly fantastic night. Zero chance of ever meeting again. …Or so they thought.
Rules of Play
Go the Long Way (MM Sports Romance / Romantic Suspense) # Small Town, Second Chance, Best-Friends-to-Lovers, Cowboy⨯ Jock Small town rancher Jakob never could say no to Ethan. His best friend, former lover… And now the man needing his help to save a life.
Double Header (MM Sports Romance Duology) # Rivals-to-Lovers, Only One Bed, Culture Exchange, Dual POV, Jock⨯ Jock There's a thin line between loathing and lust. Turns out it's about the width of a hotel bed.
Trick Play (MM College Sports Romance) # Small Town, Teammates, Opposite Attract, Jock⨯ Jock A follow up to Double Header, after Javi plays a prank, Marsh finds his way to a happy ending after all.
Knocking Boots (MM Small Town Romance) # Small Town, Second Chance, Best-Friends-to-Lovers, Cowboy⨯ Teacher This time it's Ethan's turn as he and Jakob try to make it work after all these years.
To Have & To Hold (MM Small Town Romance) # Small Town, Second Chance, Best-Friends-to-Lovers, Cowboy⨯ Teacher, Found Family Jakob & Ethan are back for a bonus epilogue!
Chance's Harbor Singles
Don't Stop Believing (MM Small Town Romance) # Small Town, Fake Dating, Mutual Pining, Dancing, Queer Joy Unlucky in love, Isaac is about ready to give up on dating altogether. But when his friend Felix needs a fake boyfriend to get out of a jam, could it be the lucky break they've both been looking for?
Bully Boys Bundle
Bully Boys
Fresh (MM College Frat RomCom) # Enemies to Lovers, Reverse Bully, Queer Joy, MM(+M), Opposites Attract, Geek⨯ Jock A dare gone wrong threatens Logan's football career, and the one guy who can fix it hates Logan's guts. After bullying the nerd all through high school, is the price for Oz's help one Logan's willing to pay?
Fling (MM College Frat RomCom) # Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Preppy⨯ Punk, Culture Exchange, Opposites Attract It was only a dare. Just one little kiss. It was never supposed to go this far… A companion novella to Bully Boys: Flirt
Flirt (MM College Frat RomCom) # Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Prince⨯ Punk, Bi Awakening, Opposites Attract It was only a dare. Just one little kiss. It wasn't supposed to change anything… A companion novella to Bully Boys: Fling
Happy Holigays
Happy Holigays
Home for the Holigays (MM Christmas RomCom) # Brother’s Best Friend, Forced Proximity, Holiday Traditions, Blue Collar/College Jock, Small Towns Kyle's gay, so what? He'll tell his family when he's ready. Someday. Not at Christmas, when his brother's best friend is staying with them too. But it's fine. It is. Right up until Luke reveals a bombshell of his own.
Feliz Navi-Dads (MM Christmas RomCom) # Rockstar⨯ Music Geek, Secret Identities, Culture Exchange, Small Island Towns, Single Dads We have rules when we hook up, to avoid this exact situation. No lights. No names. No talking. No strings at all. Until he walks into my recording studio, singing to me with that voice full of shadows and smoke.
Hard Candy Christmas (MM Christmas RomCom) # Rockstar⨯ Rockstar, Second Chances, Getting The Band Back Together Who the hell is Elliot Hart? If you asked his old bandmate Cole Bishop, he'd tell you that Elliot is a sumovabitch, a liar, a cheat – and the only man he ever let close enough to break his heart.
All I Want For Christmas is Mew (MM Christmas RomCom) # Grumpy/Sunshine, Theater Kid⨯ Engineering Geek, ADHD/ADHD, Small Towns, YA Daniel makes a few unexpected friends when he helps his cousin out at the local animal shelter.
Bro, It's Cold Outside (MM Winter Holidays RomCom) # Best Friends To Lovers, Huddling For Warmth, Holiday Traditions, ADHD Support Justin and Oliver have always been best friends. But when their fishing boat springs a leak, it's a long, cold walk back to the cabin, where they just might uncover more than a few secrets along the way.
What Are You Doing New Queer's Eve? (MM Winter Holiday RomCom) # City Boy⨯ Country Boy, Bi Awakening, Queer Joy, Small Towns At a charity burlesque show, Zach's moment of clarity rocks him to his core. Now he's ready to start really living his life, but is local handyman Owen willing to take a chance on a guy still figuring himself out?
A Sunless Land Bundle
The completed trilogy that started it all. (Written under my dark fantasy pen name, J.A. Skald - please mind the content tags!)
The Hymns of Winter Trilogy
The Dancing Tree (MM Epic Dark Fantasy) # Paladin⨯ Bard, Slow Burn Series, There Was Only One Bed, Grumpy⨯ Sunshine, Hurt/Comfort A spell-singing paladin. A totally normal human bard. When Sebastian gets hurt, he needs help. He gets Ryndalon instead.
The Shattered Isles (MM Epic Dark Fantasy) # Fae Mischief, Opposites Attract, Portal Fantasy, Epic Quests, Magic School Rule one making Deals with the fae? DON'T.
The Hollow Palace (MM Epic Dark Fantasy) # Enemies-to-Lovers, Fae Mischief, Quests, Arranged Marriage, Found Family No one could say Sebastian wasn't warned. Ryndalon better appreciate this…
Tales of a Sunless Land
The Witching Woods (MM Epic Dark Fantasy) # Fae Mischief, Curses, Hurt/Comfort, Riddles, Confessions, Hurt/Comfort Keep sharp your claws, child Pray be luck-kissed For the old gods hunt Out there in the Mist… Sebastian & Ryndalon return in an all-new cursed adventure!
Under Ghostfire Mountain (MM Epic Dark Fantasy) # Enemies-to-Lovers, Grumpy⨯ Grumpy, Snowed In, Hurt/Comfort, Saving Each Other Buried under half a mountain of snow by an avalanche and with monsters closing in, can two bitter enemies from opposite sides of a long-dead war learn to work together before it’s too late?
Hello! Hello! I'm CJ Pines (they/them), indigiqueer writer of books filled with heart, hope, and heat. I'm also J.A. Skald, author of MM-focused epic dark fantasy filled with swashbuckling adventures of guys who'd save the world for each other.
By day, I'm a freelance artist fighting monstrous projects, horrifying deadlines, cheapskate clients, and the local fae who are constantly stealing all my good pens. I'm also a serial immigrant, ADHD, and hard of hearing. When not writing, I can usually be found hiking around the UK's countryside, sketching, brewing cider, exploring castles, and chewing through a massive stack of classic fantasy books, games and movies.
Failing that, you might try checking down at the local pub (especially if the footy's on).
Hello again! It's still me - CJ Pines. As I said, I'm a freelance artist, which means I've got an edge when it comes to pulling together all the eye candy related to my books.
I'm not doing it all alone this time though. The base cover illustration and character art of Tal, Surak, & Atago are by the fantabulous Samiligia. The little dragon silhouettes in the section titles are courtesy of GreenSkyStudio. The rest is by me through my own studio, DuckandCovered.com (I'm scheduled out for the next few months, but you're welcome to add yourself to the waiting list there if you like.)
It all cuts into my 'day job' hours though, which is still how I pay most of my bills. And since utility companies won't accept MM stories in trade for keeping the lights and wi-fi on (rude!), I have to figure out ways to balance my time between work that's important to me and y'know, buying food. Fortunately, my books have given me a way to combine both.
Digital Rewards eBooks & other digital rewards are delivered for free via Bookfunnel.
Physical Rewards All shipping fees for physical rewards will be charged AFTER the campaign, via checkout in the SuncatcherPress.com shop. This allows me to accommodate any potential worldwide delivery challenges such as US tariffs or the new EU regulations, with little to no disruption in getting you your goodies. There you'll be able to select from a variety of design, color, and size variants, plus any upgrades or last minute adds. Then chose whichever speed, rates, and delivery company makes your life easiest. There's even eco-friendly options!
Holidays & Other Disruptions I will make every effort to have all physical rewards available by early November at the latest. However, the end of November from Black Friday (November 27th, 2026) through the entire month of December is generally the worst time to order and ship anything. IF YOU WANT YOUR PHYSICAL REWARDS TO ARRIVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS:
Check your settings & email to be sure you can receive updates from this campaign
Keep an eye out for messages from me about the status of your rewards
Try to get your rewards order in by November 26th
PLEASE tell me ASAP if you have any issues, so I can sort them for you lickety-split. (I promise you aren't bothering me. I'm just one person, and sometimes a security update breaks bits of my shop without me realizing it. In fact, I've been known to send out freebies as thank you bounties in the past. That said, um - please don't try to break my shop? 😅)
In addition to more books, you can also pick from a whole range of bookish merch!
The all-new character illustrations and cover designs join design options already available in my shop, including for my Songs of a Sunless Land series (written under my MM dark fantasy pen name J.A. Skald), rainbow Pride designs, the steamy covers of my upcoming Happy Holigays series, & more! You'll find these available on:
This is aPrintopia 2026project 📚 A celebration of books, comics, and graphic novels featuring an amazing lineup of creators crowdfunding together from September 10 – October 1 📅
👀 Explore the Printopia Banners Every project belongs to a banner, so you can discover stories you'll love and creators to follow:
Fantasy: Epic worlds, mythical beasts, and magic systems that defy reality.
Sci-Fi: Futuristic technology, space adventures, and mind-bending science.
Horror & Thriller: Spine-chilling scares, dark mysteries, and high-stakes suspense.
Romance: Heartwarming journeys, passionate bonds, and unforgettable love.
All-Ages: Fun, engaging, and wholesome tales perfect for every generation.
Anthologies & Collections: Curated short stories, diverse art styles, and unique creative voices.
🎁 Printopia Freebies Overview — Check out all the different ways you can get freebies in addition to your pledge rewards!
Banner Digital Zine Freebie — Support 3+ creators per banner to unlock their limited banner digital zine freebie, filled with art, stories, and bonus content from that group’s participants. Collect a new and exciting digital zine from each banner!
Cross-Collab Freebies — Back both projects in a Cross-Collab pair and get freebies from those participating creators (see individual project pages for exact freebie details and unlock requirements).
Romance
Welcome to Printopia 2026 Romance - Your One-Stop Shop for Happily Ever After.
Here you'll find romance novels ranging from closed door to putting it all on display, from cozy to topsy-turvy, and from contemporary sparks to magic between characters and in the world they live in!
Back three or more campaigns from our banner, and you'll receive an exclusive zine featuring bonus content from every romance author.
