The Twelve Points of Caleb Canto

by Sam Starbuck

Caleb Canto moved to Askazer-Shivadlakia to live a quiet life, teaching music at a local school and writing pop songs on the side. The Shivadh are friendly to trans people, and the school is understanding of his desire to be kinder to the “different” kids than his own teachers were to him. What Caleb did not expect was that a song he sold to a prospective pop star would be entered into the Shivadh National Final for Eurovision, or that he'd be tapped to replace the original singer on short notice during the competition. When Caleb wins the National Final, he's put on a new and perhaps overly-exciting path to fame, and drawn into the orbit of the Shivadh royal family -- a collection of earnest politicians, oddballs, and charming rogues. Caleb would like to walk away from Eurovision, but he never seems to manage it. Part of the draw might be the UK’s Eurovision representative, Buck Haverd, a teal-haired rocker who makes questionable life choices. When Buck arrives in Askazer-Shivadlakia, planning to hide out and work on his latest album, he and Caleb form a friendship based equally on a love of music and on trolling each other ruthlessly. Caleb wouldn’t mind more than friendship with Buck, but he isn’t interested in something casual, and Buck specializes in flings. Soon both are headed to Turin, immersing themselves in the glamor of Eurovision. With a lot at stake for Buck’s career, they’re going to have to decide what they want, and face what might happen if either one of them Caleb, the accidental cool kid from the small country with the funny name, or Buck, the insecure bad-boy who could beat the long odds.

298 pages, Paperback

Published March 29, 2023

About the author

Sam is a nonprofit researcher, blogger, and former theatre punk who lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.

Secretly, he is a Time Lord.

He writes romance and light SFF, literary fiction, and sometimes even fanfic.