Ceillie Simkiss

Ser Genevieve, lady knight and heir to the Duchy of Teagan, has been chosen as part of the prince’s honor guard at his coming out ball - a high honor for a woman who’s only been a full fledged knight for a year. The ball is an opportunity for Genevieve to make a name for herself with a functional chainmail dress of her own design, and maybe a chance for her to properly get to know Duke Avery of Wolvington, a man she’s had a quiet crush on for years. The paths of a gentle blacksmith, a know-it-all nonbinary tailor, and Genevieve’s talented witch of a younger sister cross in their determination to make Ser Genevieve a knight to remember.

Elena Mendez has always been career-first; with only two semesters of law school to go, her dream of working as a family lawyer for children is finally within reach. She can't afford distractions. She doesn't have time for love. And she has no idea how much her life will change, the day she lends her notes to Cora McLaughlin. A freelance writer and MBA student, Cora is just as career-driven as Elena. But over weeks in the library together, they discover that as strong as they are apart, they're stronger together. Through snowstorms and stolen moments, through loneliness and companionship, the two learn they can weather anything as long as they have each other--even a surprise visit from Elena's family. From solitude to sweetness, there's nothing like falling in love. College may be strict...but when it comes to love, Cora and Elena are ahead of the learning curve.

Silas is a soldier in the Duchy of Wolvington. He is looking forward to spending three months of leave with his daughter and queerplatonic partner as soon as he and his squad take care of some particularly vicious wolves that have been terrorizing the duchy's forests. When his mission goes awry and Silas ends up in the hospital, they're all in for a lot of changes.

No matter how old you are, there’s always a chance for romance. After the death of her husband, 71-year-old homemaker Martha Appleby is taking her first long-distance trip alone. That loss has derailed many of her plans for her twilight years, and she hopes to come to peace with not knowing what will come next. 70-year-old service dog trainer Pamela Thornton is hoping to take advantage of a well-timed work trip to figure out what to do next. Crouton is the last service dog of the litter, and she’s not sure she wants to keep raising dogs by herself. These two childhood sweethearts haven’t seen each other in fifty years when they each board the same airplane, only to find they’ve been booked for the same seat. If they can get past the ghosts of their past and decide what path they want to chart for their futures, this chance meeting could give their long lost relationship its second wind.

This omnibus contains all of the original published stories in the Learning Curves series. It also includes a few previously unpublished Learning Curves short stories! Learning Curves Elena Mendez has always been career-first; with only two semesters of law school to go, her dream of working as a family lawyer for children is finally within reach. She can't afford distractions. She doesn't have time for love. And she has no idea how much her life will change, the day she lends her notes to Cora McLaughlin. A freelance writer and MBA student, Cora is just as career-driven as Elena. But over weeks in the library together, they discover that as strong as they are apart, they're stronger together. Through snowstorms and stolen moments, through loneliness and companionship, the two learn they can weather anything as long as they have each other--even a surprise visit from Elena's family. From solitude to sweetness, there's nothing like falling in love. College may be strict...but when it comes to love, Cora and Elena are ahead of the learning curve. Wrapped Up In You It's been two years since Cora and Elena of LEARNING CURVES discovered how easy it is to learn to love--but with Christmas just around the bend, they're going to have to learn to cope when both their families descend on their household for the first time ever. With her brothers and parents underfoot and a million dishes to cook, it's hard enough for Elena to plan her double surprise for Elena, even harder when she has to corral her wayward brothers into it--but when Cora's own surprise plans tangle with Elena's, it may be impossible to tie up the holiday in a neat little bow. There's mayhem and laughter, warmth and unexpected turns--and even if it all doesn't go according to plan, neither Cora nor Elena care so long as they can stay wrapped up in each other. The Ghosts of Halloween Halloween is a holiday that is both loved and reviled by people all over America. It’s one of Cora’s favorite holidays, and a massive source of anxiety for Elena. Between the two of them, they get up to all sorts of hijinks and wind up falling even more head over heels for each other in The Ghosts of Halloween. The Ghosts of Halloween collection is made up of three sweet slice-of-life short Past, Present and Future. Each tells the story of a different Halloween that Cora and Elena have gone or will go through together. Cora forgets about a planned Halloween party she’s supposed to attend with Elena. Will she make it in time for the festivities? Elena gets a surprise invitation to her new job’s Halloween party - and costumes are mandatory. Will they come up with appropriate costumes in time for the party? Five years after the events of Learning Curves, Elena takes her niblings trick-or-treating. The last house they visit has a bit of a surprise in store. The Ghosts of Halloween is a continuation of the Learning Curves series, but can be read as a standalone collection featuring the lesbian and asexual characters from the original stories. And more...