Welcome to Vladimir Putin’s phantasmagoric world, where a heady mixture of Orthodoxy, socialism, imperialism, racism, homophobia, and Mother Russia worship defines and distorts reality. Vovochka is the story of “Vovochka” Putin and his intimate friend—a KGB agent with the same nickname. The two Vovochkas recruit informers in Berlin’s gay bars, spy on East German dissidents, survive the trauma of the Soviet Union’s collapse, fight American, Ukrainian, Jewish, and Estonian “fascists,” and plot to restore Russia’s power and glory. As their mindset assumes increasingly bizarre forms, Vovochka Putin experiences bouts of selfdoubt that culminate in a weeklong cure in North Korea. A savage satire, Vovochka is also a terrifyingly plausible account of Vladimir Putin’s evolution from a minor KGB agent in East Germany to the selfstyled Savior and warmongering leader of a paranoid state.

Contemporary Queer Plays by Russian Playwrights is the first anthology of LGBTQ-themed plays written by Russian queer authors and straight allies in the 21st century. The book features plays by established and emergent playwrights of the Russian drama scene, including Roman Kozyrchikov, Andrey Rodionov and Ekaterina Troepolskaya, Valery Pecheykin, Natalya Milanteva, Olzhas Zhanaydarov, Vladimir Zaytsev, and Elizaveta Letter. Writing for children, teenagers, and adults, these authors explore gay, lesbian, trans, and other queer lives in prose and in verse. From a confession-style solo play to poetic satire on contemporary Russia; from a play for children to love dramas that have been staged for adult-only audiences in Moscow and other cities, this important anthology features work that was written around or after 2013-the year when the law on the prohibition of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” was passed by the Russian government. These plays are universal stories of humanity that spread a message of tolerance, acceptance, and love and make clear that a queer scenario does not necessarily have to end in a tragedy just because it was imagined and set in Russia. They show that breathing, growing old, falling in love, falling out of love, and falling in love again can be just as challenging and rewarding in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia as it can be in New York, Tokyo, Johannesburg, or Buenos Aires.

My name is Blue—insert a mood-related joke here—and I’m a femme fatale in training. My goal is to join the CIA. Unfortunately, I have a tiny issue with birds, and the closest I’ve come to my dream is working for a government agency that’s disturbingly up-to-speed on everyone’s sexts, rants in private Facebook groups, and secret family chocolate-chip cookie recipes. I know I’m a spy cliché, that agent who works at a desk but craves fieldwork. However, I have a plan: I’m going to infiltrate the secretive Hot Poker Club, where I’ve spotted a mysterious, sexy stranger who I’m convinced is a Russian spy. And once I'm in? All I have to do is seduce the presumed spy without falling for him, so I can expose his true identity and prove my femme fatale bona fides to the CIA. I never lose concentration at work, so that'll be an absolute breeze for me. Oh, and did I mention he's sexy? I’m doing it for my country, not my ovaries, I pinky swear. WARNING: Now that you’ve finished reading this, your device will self-destruct in five seconds. NOTE: This is a standalone, raunchy, slow-burn romantic comedy featuring a quirky, spy-movie-obsessed heroine, a scorching hot maybe-Russian, several terrifying tales about birds, and lots of text debates about the relative cuteness of animals. If any of the above is not your cup of tea, run far, far away. Otherwise, buckle up for a laugh-out-loud, feel-good ride.

For a limited time, grab this collection of three standalone, raunchy, slow-burn romantic comedies featuring quirky, nerdy heroines and panty-melting heroes, along with their assortment of lovable, mischievous pets, and buckle in for a laugh-out-loud, feel-good ride. Hard Code My new assignment at work: test out toys. Yup, that kind. But when the testing goes south, and I mean that literally, I’m forced to recruit the help of my new boss, the infamously reclusive and devastatingly sexy Vlad Chortsky, a.k.a. the Impaler. Testing toys with your scorching hot boss is still professional... right? Hard Ware Two dogs, both alike in adorableness, in New York City, where we lay our scene… Okay, maybe that’s a tad dramatic, but who knew a puppy meet-cute could go so horribly wrong? One moment, we're strolling through Central Park, and the next, a mysterious, mouthwateringly hot stranger is demanding I get my Chihuahua tested for STDs. Since he turns out to be the key to getting my newest business venture funded, I guess I’ll do it. It has nothing to do with wanting to see him again. And again. And maybe one more time... Hard Byte In the cerulean, fantasy-inducing eyes of my new Russian boss, Alex Chortsky (a.k.a. the Devil), “project integration” means turning my life’s work into a high-tech "toy." Uh-huh, that kind. When committing corporate sabotage to save my project doesn’t go as planned, my job is on the line, and the only way out is to make a deal with the Devil himself. One fake date in exchange for his help on my project—what could possibly go wrong?

So, my Chihuahua humped a bear. Excuse me, a giant, bear-like dog. Now the bear’s scorching hot owner is on my case, demanding an STD test... for my pet. Another problem with this dog-on-dog molestation? The bear’s mysterious owner may be the key to funding my new venture and taking my toys company to the next level. And by “toys,” I mean the fun kind, the kind every woman (and man) needs. If only I could figure out what he’s hiding—or get my libido to behave. Because mixing business and pleasure is a bad idea, and Dragomir Lamian may not be who he seems. NOTE: This is a standalone, raunchy, slow-burn romantic comedy featuring a confident, toy-obsessed heroine who knows every Russian superstition under the sun, her meet-cute with a hot, mysterious stranger, and two oversexed dogs, one of which may have a special toy of his own. If any of the above is not your cup of tea, run away now. Otherwise, buckle in for a laugh-out-loud, feel-good ride.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of facial hair must be in want of a shave. And tidying. And a fake date. My name is Holly Hyman. I love order and prime numbers—and I’m in trouble. The company I work for is pivoting, and not in a way I like. Our new management? Alex Chortsky, a gorgeous, scruffy Russian devil. Our new direction? VR entertainment of the spicy kind. Maybe I wouldn’t mind it so much if my life’s work wasn’t meant for children. Or if I hadn’t accidentally hooked up with a VR version of my wickedly handsome boss. The only way to save my dream project is to make a Faustian bargain. For one night, I pretend to be Alex Chortsky’s girlfriend. What could possibly go wrong? NOTE: This is a standalone, raunchy, slow-burn romantic comedy featuring a quirky, nerdy Anglophile heroine, a scorching hot Russian hero, and an unruly, oversized puppy. If any of the above is not your cup of tea, run away now. Otherwise, buckle in for a laugh-out-loud, feel-good ride.