The Yearning

I'm Eric, and I never expected my afterlife to be harder than my life. Newly Dead Lesson #1: Attach to a living person's life force if you want to stay in this world. I've done just that, linking into people's life forces since my untimely death in 1955 in the arms of my unrequited love. Not-So-Newly Dead Lesson #2: Don't Fall For Your Anchor. My current anchor is Justin, a kindly, handsome mortician I've fallen skull over crossbones for. The problem? He in love with his best friend, Darren, a swaggering, overly-confident paramedic who flirts with everyone except Justin. Maturely Dead Lesson #3: Communication with the living is important! I can't really dislike Darren despite my jealousy. He's the one who realized smartphones are modern day Ouija boards. Finally being in contact with Justin gets me—well, if I had a heart, it would be racing. Terminally Dead Lesson Infinity: Stay Wary, Always! I let my head (and heart) get so involved talking to Justin and Darren, I missed the arrival of something sinister. This insidious shadow actually threatens not just my nebulous link to this world, but theirs too. How can I, who barely manipulates a cell phone, stop something powerful enough to endanger the living? The Yearning is a 30,000 word MM paranormal romance Short Read, (about 3 hours, 195 pages) with not just one, but two happy endings! However, these 30k words pack a punch with some heavy-duty mental health themes. They're listed in the preview under Content Warning. Reader discretion advised. The 2025 2nd edition release contains significant edits, including approximately 4k new words, or an additional 15% increase to the original for more depth, emotion, and a tidier final result.