Just nine months after “Heated Rivals” premiered and became a global phenomenon, gay adult entertainment company Falcon | NakedSword is getting into the book business.
The San Francisco-based company is launching FalconInk, a publishing company focused on erotic fiction, Variety exclusively reported. The publisher is comprised of three publishers: Falcon Books, NakedSword Books, and Raging Stallion Books.
FalconINK will debut two novels, “Hard Ball,” an original sports romance from Falcon Books, and “Wild Game: Open Season,” a prequel to the gay adult film “Wild Game” from NakedSword Books, to be released on July 28th.
“This exciting venture reflects our commitment to expand beyond our traditional audiences while staying true to the storytelling and sexuality that has defined Falcon for more than 50 years,” Falcon | Naked Sword CEO Tim Valenti said in a statement Monday morning. “For the first time, we are also creating content for women, one of the largest audiences in the M/M romance space. No company is better positioned to tell relatable romantic and erotic stories than a company that has been so successful since 1971.”
Ben Rush, the company’s co-chief content officer, said, “Beyond publishing, FalconINK will serve as an incubator for future film and television adaptations for mainstream and adult audiences, further expanding the world of Falcon | Naked Sword through original and existing IP. We are proud to see the company continue to evolve while remaining committed to the freedom and acceptance that we have represented within the LGBTQIA+ community for 55 years.”
“Hard Ball” is the story of Mateo Ruiz, a minor league baseball player, who falls in love with his rival, shortstop Chase Whitaker.
In Wild Game: Open Season, Derek Cage appears to be happily married to a woman, but his life changes when he meets Adrian, a construction worker.
Both titles are available as paperback, ebook, and audiobook. The audiobook version of Wild Game: Open Season, written by Riley Parks and Ben Rush, is narrated by adult entertainer Derek Cage. Fellow porn star Eddie Burke provides the voice for Parks’ audiobook, “Hard Balls.”
The publisher’s launch party is scheduled for August 29th at Book Soup in West Hollywood.
The launch of FalconINK comes alongside several major milestones for Falcon | Naked Sword includes the introduction of “Hard Ball” and “Wild Game: Open Season” to the Stonewall National Museum, Archives, and Library, the premiere of an industry-first SFW vertical micro-drama, and an upcoming underwear design collaboration with Skull & Bones.
“Heated Rivalry,” which was adapted into a television series, is based on the “Game Changers” book series by Canadian author Rachel Reid. Season 2 will begin filming in August. In March, show creator Jacob Tierney said he was trying not to feel pressured to get season 1 done in time. “I think I realized a while ago that what I needed to do was get back to where my head was when I first wrote, which was to love these books and try to do the smartest thing I could with them,” he said at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.
