Queens Up

By Andrea Dale

In this fan favorite short story, Josephine’s father has lost the family ranch—and Josephine’s hand in marriage—in a poker game gone bad. Josephine plots to win everything back by disguising herself as a man to compete in a high-stakes poker game herself...and her secret lover, Margaret, intends to make sure no one suspects Josephine’s deception. Includes BONUS story “Frozen.”

“Queens Up” originally appeared in LAMBDA Literary Award Winner Lesbian Cowboys: Erotic Adventures (Cleis Press, 2009) and republished in Best Lesbian Romance 2010 (Cleis Press, 2010).

Called a “legendary erotica heavy-hitter” (by the über-legendary Violet Blue), ANDREA DALE writes sizzling erotica with a generous dash of romance. Her work—which has been called “poignantly erotic,” “heartbreaking,” and “exceptional”—has appeared in the Publisher’s Weekly¬-starred Best Erotic Romance and Romantic Times 4-star anthology Steamlust, as well as about 100 other anthologies from Harlequin Spice, Avon Red, and Cleis Press. She finds passion in rock music, clever words, piercing blue eyes, the wind in her hair, and the scent of the ocean. Visit cyvarwydd.com for more information.

REVIEWS

“In the silent-support and enduring understanding romance department, it's hard to beat Andrea Dale's historical ‘Queens Up.’ The setting of the American West is cleanly crafted and the time period of Westward Expansion accurate. The women, Josephine and Margaret, are depicted with the determination and intelligence to work within the ‘big picture’ of society’s expectations. There's no blow-up women's lib single moment, so frequent in stories set in historical times, just a strong current of thinking fast on their feet that brings these women alive.”
—Lara Zielinsky, LZFiction

“’Queens Up’ by Andrea Dale is the tale of Josephine who uses her skill at poker to undo her father’s mistakes and reclaim a home for herself and Margaret. This clever historical tale flows beautifully with excellent characters and exceptional prose.”
—Emily, Three Dollar Bill Reviews

"'Queens Up' by Andrea Dale, first published in Lesbian Cowboys, also takes much of its flavor from its setting. It is a rollicking story about a young woman who gambles for her life in the Old West."
—Jean Roberta, Goodreads.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soul's Road Press
• Release date: Mar 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458165268

Andrea Dale

Called a “legendary erotica heavy-hitter” (by the über-legendary Violet Blue), ANDREA DALE writes sizzling erotica with a generous dash of romance. Her work appeared in the LAMBDA-award-winning anthology Lesbian Cowboys: Erotic Adventures and Romantic Times 4.5-star anthology Fairy Tale Lust, as well as about 100 other anthologies from Harlequin Spice, Avon Red, and Cleis Press. She finds passion in rock music, clever words, piercing blue eyes, the wind in her hair, and the scent of the ocean. Visit www.cyvarwydd.com for more information.

Book preview

QUEENS UP

by

Andrea Dale

In this erotic lesbian short story that’s a fan favorite, Josephine’s father has lost the family ranch—and Josephine’s hand in marriage—in a poker game gone bad. Josephine plots to win everything back by disguising herself as a man to compete in a high-stakes poker game herself…and her secret lover, Margaret, intends to make sure no one suspects Josephine’s deception. Includes BONUS story Frozen.

QUEENS UP and FROZEN

Andrea Dale

Electronic edition published 2012 by Soul’s Road Press

Copyright © Andrea Dale. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction, in whole or in part in any form, without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Queens Up originally appeared in LAMBDA Literary Award Winner Lesbian Cowboys: Erotic Adventures (Cleis Press, 2009) and republished in Best Lesbian Romance 2010 (Cleis Press, 2010).

Frozen was originally appeared in Dyke the Halls (Cleis Press, 2003), and was reprinted in Lambda Literary Award finalist Best Lesbian Erotica 2005 (Cleis Press, 2005) and Best Lesbian Bondage Erotica (Cleis Press, 2007)

Inquiries should be addressed to

Soul’s Road Press

[e-mail]

http://www.soulsroadpress.com

Cover art © DNF-Style / Bigstockphoto.com. Logo by Design by Trapdoor.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover

Queens Up

Bonus Story: Frozen

About the Author and Links

Copyright Information

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QUEENS UP

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