Books Tagged With author - american

Word Count: Click here to reveal74000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Ricardo Torralba and August Morrison don’t agree on much besides the fact that they hate each other. According to Ricardo, August is a spoiled brat who really needs to knock off the sass once in a while. August insists that Ricardo needs a sense of humor, a good lay, or a well-placed bullet. Maybe all three. Fortunately, the assassin’s profession is a solitary one, and they can go about their lives without getting in each other’s way. Usually. When a contracted hit turns out to be a setup for both of them, they narrowly escape with their lives. Now, even if they don’t like it (spoiler: they don’t), August and Ricardo have to work together if they want a shot at survival. In between firefights and questionable interrogation methods as they hunt down their would-be killer, the cranky assassins discover that under all that mutual loathing is a spark of chemistry they can’t ignore. They want to ignore it, they probably should ignore it, but August can’t help flirting to annoy Ricardo, and Ricardo can think of at least one way to shut him up for a while. But they need to focus, damn it, and figure out who’s gunning for them and why. Assuming they don’t kill each other first. Hitman vs Hitman is a standalone gay romantic suspense featuring two men who’d rather chew glass than fall for each other, a whole lot of inappropriate comments, and some buttons that will need resewing.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85119 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Eighteen-year-old Aaron Pickard is dealing with a lot: he’s falling for his straight best friend, his mother has ended up in the hospital after a violent assault by his father, and he’s trying to decide when to come out. Tack on the stress of an upcoming prom and graduation, a part-time job, and the possibility he could lose his best friend, and he’s an emotional wreck. Aaron’s best friend Jeff Leaton provides a soft place for him to fall when his life is thrown into chaos, literally holding him each night as they fall asleep. As Jeff helps Aaron navigate through the mess that has become his new normal, Aaron’s feelings for Jeff intensify. Aaron’s pretty sure it’s all going to end badly, but he’s holding on to hope.

Word Count: Click here to reveal23000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Rein Richards isn’t holding out much hope that the matchmaker can come up with a match for him, and he’s sure it’s his own fault. He has a short attention span, a temper, and a lot of baggage. He knows who he is, he desperately needs a strong man to obey, to help calm his thoughts and get his mind in order, but he just can’t seem to do anything right. Grant Rugger has been on his own a long while because he hasn’t found a lover—a boy—that truly needs his particular brand of 24/7 attention and love. He comes to the AirB&D wanting, not the perfectly behaved man, but the perfect boy for him. Rein proves to be an enormous challenge, but is beautiful and fascinating, and one thing he knows for sure—the boy’s lack of a long-term arrangement is far from his own fault. Rein just hasn’t found anyone that has both the firm hand that he needs and enough patience to wait him out. It doesn’t take Grant long to decide he wants to be the man that Rein needs him to be. But is three days enough to build that kind of trust? Of course, the matchmaker thinks it is. And he’s always right.

Word Count: Click here to reveal31000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: An FBI agent with an attitude about his assignment. A civilian witness to a terrorist plan in need of protection. A mole within the FBI ranks that endangers them both. Civilian Mark Beecher overheard portions of a terrorist plot and is in need of protection. What FBI Special Agent Aaron Pearce thinks will be a simple babysitting job ends up more dangerous and life changing than he could have ever anticipated when an informant within the Detroit FBI office sends them on the run. With no one to turn to, they hole up in a loft apartment and attempt to unravel the terrorist’s full plan from the bits and pieces Mark overheard. Working together within the confines of the loft, the two grow closer and their attraction eventually erupts into passion. But the informant is determined to find them, and when he does, Pearce is taken hostage. Now on his own, Mark realizes their roles have been reversed, and he is forced out of hiding—and his comfort zone—to try and save Pearce’s life. Holed Up is an opposites attract, forced proximity, FBI and civilian mystery thriller that kicks off the Up to Trouble series.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Clint Barker wants to take his relationship with boyfriend Joshua Cash to the next level, and that means meeting Josh’s family at Christmas. Clint is sure he can deal with anything, even though Josh has expressed reservations that his big, loud hillbilly family might be too overwhelming for an introvert like Clint to handle. Josh loves his family, but the only other time he brought a boyfriend home to meet them, the guy didn’t last through dinner. Clint means everything to him, and though he knows his family means well, Josh is worried their nosiness and sheer overwhelming presence will drive Clint away. Between having to fix an illegal still, getting treed by a wild hog, and barely avoiding a bar fight between rednecks and bikers, the holiday doesn’t get off to an auspicious start. Then at the traditional Christmas Eve Hootenanny, Josh and Clint argue, and Clint later turns up missing. Will this spell the end of their relationship, or will a newborn in a stable work a little Christmas miracle for them both?

Word Count: Click here to reveal62083 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Bells ring and choirs sing. People bustle with happiness and joy. Calories pile up while everyone gathers to chat with friends and relatives. What’s more exciting than all the holidays in December? But sometimes we need a break from the expectations and the wonderment. A great way to revive our spirits is by reading a story to ground us in the true meaning of the season. This collection features four stories infused with happiness, love, and joy. From a small business owner discovering his first fruitcake and a homeless man finding a permanent home to a blacksmith’s wish to propose to his childhood friend and a gay man relocating to a small town, each story is a journey of self-discovery leading to happily ever after. Contains the stories: Blame It on the Fruitcake: Motorcycle shop owner Sam McGuire falls for the fruitcake his loft neighbor’s grandma makes as well as the man himself. But will handsome, educated, personable Jay Merriweather be attracted to a grease jockey like Sam? The Orpheum Miracle: The son of crack addicts who abandoned him as a child, Mick has found refuge in the historic Orpheum Theater. But when the new owner takes over, will Mick be pushed out on the street or taken into the owner’s heart? Making the Holidays Happy Again: Butch has been manning the forge in Old Town and fantasizing over his best friend Jimmy since they were in high school. Does Jimmy feel the same way about Butch? Does Butch want to push their friendship and find out? Heart of the Holidays: When Silicon Valley programmer Dan Lassiter moves to a small California town, he doesn’t expect to find love. After Rick Reardon opens his bakery across the street, Dan may change his mind.

Word Count: Click here to reveal55000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: A rowdy superstar in danger. His resentful new guardian. It’s hate at first sight until love takes an unexpected encore.   Closeted actor Owen fears failure and betrayal. So after he’s stabbed by a crazy fan, the movie studio offers a hunky bodyguard for protection. Suspicious that the ripped security man is just a gossip-seeking plant, he pushes back at his bulging biceps, ignoring the chemistry.   Newly retired SEAL Jamal is having a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Reluctantly taking a Hollywood job for a bad boy with tight abs, he’s sure the star is simply paranoid. But when he discovers the sexy celebrity is in serious jeopardy, he doesn’t hesitate to jump into action mode.   As the peril hits closer to home, Owen finds himself falling for the handsome hero fighting for his life. And as the threats intensify, Jamal fears he might lose the man he has come to love.   Will Owen and Jamal go down in a catastrophic climax, or will they star in their own happy ending?   Hollywood Lighting is the red-hot first book in the Bodyguards M/M contemporary romance series. If you like tortured heroes, intense predicaments, and steamy affairs, then you’ll adore J. V. Speyer’s tale of LGBT passion.   Buy Hollywood Lighting to let desire take centerstage today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal6360 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: CEO of a large, family-owned business, and with both parents involved in state politics, Ian prefers to keep his private life private. Especially since home is the place where he indulges in his deepest, darkest desires, and lives out his fantasies with his husband.   Taren, investigator with the state police and known for his forceful character, is a perfect match for Ian. He knows exactly what he wants, and being Ian’s Master at home, behind closed doors, is most certainly it.   Outwardly, Taren and Ian look like any other happily married, upper middle-class working couple. So far, they’ve kept their life at home private, but now Taren is planning a special trip for their anniversary. Not knowing any details, how prepared is Ian to let Taren fulfill his dark desires away from home?

Word Count: Click here to reveal25971 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: All Joe wants to do is enjoy winter break from college, but it just isn’t going his way. His mom remarried, he runs into his ex who announced he was also getting married, and he’s missing the big end of semester party on campus. To top it all off, he’s tasked with bringing home twins he’s never met so they can spend Christmas at his house with their uncle—his new stepdad. Then he meets the twins, Kris and Karen, and Joe realizes Kris is really cute. His luck might be changing, but is Joe over his ex enough to move forward?

Word Count: Click here to reveal53400 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Connor Westin and Early Jericho have a comfortable, busy life in Denver. Connor is a lawyer who brings home the bacon and Early is a stay at home dad to their two young boys. Sure, Early is a cowboy at heart, but he loves their kids and as far as Connor is concerned they’re happy in their suburban home. When Early inherits a ranch on the Western Slope of Colorado, neither is sure what they should do about it. That is until they visit, and Connor sees just how much it all means to his husband. Both men agree to uproot their family and take a shot at running the ranch together, but it takes time to shut down one life and start another. Early takes the boys to the ranch while Connor spends the summer in Denver to handle all the details of moving on.   Between the long distance, the new responsibilities, and interference from a not so well meaning employee, Connor and Early have trouble staying connected. Will the ranch become the home they need it to be, or will it tear their family apart?

Word Count: Click here to reveal94000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Dare Buckley has come home—or at least, he’s come back to Palladian, the small town he left as a teenager. After a major lapse in judgment forced him to resign from the Seattle PD, Palladian is the only place that’ll hire him. There’s one benefit to hitting rock bottom, though: the chance to investigate the mystery of his father’s suicide. He also gets to reacquaint himself with Finn Fowler, whose childhood hero worship ended in uncomfortable silence when Dare moved away. But Finn isn’t the same little kid Dare once protected. He’s grown into an attractive, enigmatic stranger who neither wants nor needs what Dare has to offer. In fact, Dare soon realizes that Finn is keeping secrets—his own and the town’s. And he doesn’t seem to care that Dare needs answers. The atmosphere in Palladian, like its namesake river, appears placid, but dark currents churn underneath. When danger closes in, Dare must pit his ingenuity against his heart, and find his way home the hard way.

Word Count: Click here to reveal22000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Spaceman meets wolfman. When his own world is destroyed, Aldiss and his crew barely manage to escape, leaving friends and lovers behind. What was meant to be an exploratory trip back to the home world becomes a mad dash for survival. When they awaken from deep sleep on Earth, abandoned by humanity five centuries before, they must quickly learn about their new home. While exploring the region around the ship, Aldiss meets Hari, a human-wolf hybrid, whose people harbor secrets which just might cost the crew their lives. Will Hari and Aldiss uncover the secrets of the past and find common ground? Or are Aldiss and his team doomed to failure?

Word Count: Click here to reveal96800 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: The truth hurts. But in the end, honesty wins. Or does it? Warren Prescott loves a challenge. He knows how to play the game and adapts when necessary to succeed in his cutthroat world. Tired of pining for a man he’s wanted for months, Warren intends to seal the deal. Until that man throws him an endearing curveball… Be honest. Gian Benedetti doesn't play games. Success has cost him the personal connections he craves, and he doubts he’ll take another chance on a relationship. Until the attractive, younger man with the brazen personality and confidence stirs his interest. Except…someone else is playing games. And threatening everything Gian has worked hard to achieve. Warren won’t rest until he uncovers the new player and gets his forever with Gian. But they’ll soon face a hard truth— Honesty may be what brings them together… Or it could be the one thing that tears them apart. ----- Honestly Yours is an age-gap standalone romance. It features a snarky younger man with a giant crush on a good-hearted, affectionate, bisexual older man. Expect some banter, a little mystery, a few twists, a dash of angst, curious parents, animal trivia, and a whole lot of love…and hugs (so many hugs).

Word Count: Click here to reveal30,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: George Bernard Sheth plans to spend July in the garden with his beloved pug, Bumble. He’s tending to his bees when a neighbour harasses him quite vocally. When the man winds up dead, all eyes are immediately on George and the many hives in his garden. Murphy Baird knows without a doubt George wouldn’t harm a fly or a bee or an obnoxious rich businessman. He balances keeping his brewery going with trying to help solve the murder and preparing for the upcoming Highland Games. It’s not made any easier by the impending visit from his father. As the mystery deepens, they find themselves not knowing quite who to trust. Can they find the killer before George winds up arrested for murder?

Word Count: Click here to reveal30000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Get ready for a charmingly quirky romance with a twist of murder mystery in Honey Mead Murder! Follow the heart-warming story of George Bernard Sheth, a devoted pug and bee lover, who has been secretly crushing on a local mead brewer. But when a customer dies during a mead tasting, Murphy Baird, the brewer, finds himself at the centre of a police investigation. As the two navigate the murder mystery, they find themselves falling deeper in love, all while trying to stay alive long enough for their first date. With meddling friends and unexpected plot twists, "Honey Mead Murder" is a must-read for anyone who loves a good MM romance and a thrilling mystery.

Word Count: Click here to reveal30,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Honey, Romance, and Danger… As August winds down, George Sheth and Murphy Baird are ready to put months of murder mysteries behind them. They hope for calmer days as they move in together. But it’s all for nought when his pug, Bumble, stumbles on the body of a new bride in the middle of the lane. It’s clear Bumble didn’t kill anyone, but someone did—and they may have set their sights on George. With a wedding party full of potential suspects, they find themselves caught between the police and angry family members. Can they make it safely through the end of summer alive?

Word Count: Click here to reveal31000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealLesbian (Click here to hide)

Summary: When Marissa wins a holiday honeymoon package at a ski resort in small town Colorado, she knows she has to call them and back out of the trip. She's not getting married, after all, since her girlfriend turned down her proposal. When the ski resort's marketing manager convinces her to come anyway to save his job, though, she can't turn down a well-deserved vacation, even if it means pretending to be engaged for the photo opportunities. What she really doesn't expect is for the other party of the fake engagement to be someone she used to know. Rebekka shows up in Summit Springs to help her brother out, so it comes as a shock when she has to pretend to be engaged to her old college girlfriend, Marissa. They couldn't be more opposite. Mari is by the book, high dollar, and kind of high maintenance. Bekka is a tarot reading earth goddess type who's a little scatterbrained. Can the two of them learn that they've both matured and changed into people who can really care for each other, or will their relationship end when the fake honeymoon is over? Honeymoon in the Cards is a FF (lesbian) romance featuring opposites attract and second chance romance between a Texas-born tarot card reader and a New York City ad executive, set in the fictional small town of Summit Springs, CO.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: * * * The story line within this book deals with the topic of college hazing, which could be an emotional trigger for some readers. * * * Fizzbo is used to taking care of people. He’s the one in charge of the personal and professional security needs for both world-famous rock bands, Ivory Tower and Black Ice. Having their backs is what he does best, and he takes pride in that, both on and off the job. When he’s called into action to save the man he loves, all of his skills are put to the test. Suddenly, he isn't so sure his training will be enough, but saving Kensey is personal, and he’s willing do anything to keep him safe. Kensey Pride is the man who rocked Fizzbo's world when they met during the European tour with Ivory Tower and Black Ice. Kensey's passion for his job, making people look and feel beautiful in their own skin, is something he lacks in his own life until the magnetism of a certain security guard comes along and breaks down the walls he's built around his heart to keep him safe. For the first time in his life, Kensey discovers he likes who he sees looking back at him in the mirror. Without the safety of those walls and his heart left unprotected, Kensey becomes an easy target for those who can't let go of the past. Will Fizzbo's strength and love be enough to bring Kensey home, or will old truths be too much for the guard to handle?

Word Count: Click here to reveal46,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Demisexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: War made them enemies. Could they ever be anything more? The war has not been kind to Elijah Fulton, Major in the Continental army. After nearly losing his leg during the Battle of Monmouth, he returned to his home in Pennsylvania only to discover his herd of livestock severely diminished and his ability to continue his trade in textiles nearly impossible. He can only be thankful that his horse, Hercules, wasn't killed. As he works to rebuild his life in the ever-present shadow of war, he learns he is to help keep an eye on a group of prisoners captured at Yorktown and brought to town for an unspecified amount of time. Among those soldiers is an officer who is to be given a place in Elijah's home until the prisoners leave. All Colonel Benjamin Edmonds wants to do is return to England with his steadfast horse, Achilles, and what remains of his regiment. Between the battles, disease, and desertion, his force has dwindled and so has his tolerance of war. He can think of little that appeals to him less than living in the home of an American officer while his men are confined to a poorly-built prison in the middle of town. Yet, he soon learns Major Fulton isn't a spiteful man who despises Benjamin simply for being his enemy. In fact, he seems to be a good man, and a gentleman. Bound together by their desire to see the prisoners treated properly, they both begin to see each other for who they truly are. But with the war ending and Benjamin certain to be returning home before too long, do they dare look for comfort and affection in each other? REVOLUTION is a queer historical fiction series set during the American Revolution in which all protagonists find happiness at the end of their harrowing journeys, regardless of whether or not their stories include romance or of which side of the war they are on. SERIES CONTENT WARNINGS: war and violence, 18th century social norms and prejudices (including those regarding gender, race, ethnicity, and sexuality) BOOK SPECIFIC CONTENT WARNINGS: prisoners of war, disabilities from wounds received in battle, death in battle, PTSD, past death of a spouse, past death of a lover, past death in childbirth, references to death of a newborn, mentions of slavery, references to non-monogamy

Word Count: Click here to reveal95169 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: From the moment he is resurrected, Mitchell Brooks is full of ambition and determined to win at all costs. The fresh recruit pushes himself to the limit and earns the title of Juris Knight, a highly respected position within the Order of the Fallen Knights. Mitchell wants to be the best of his graduating class, but the task is impossible because there is someone in his way—the man who happens to be his mate. Pierson Murphy is brought to life with the gift of a perfect memory and miserable resurrection sickness. After three days of suffering, he begins his journey toward Juris Knight and excels, achieving perfect scores on every aptitude test. However, Pierson struggles with an inability to relate to everyone—including the man supposedly destined to be his other half. They keep their matebond a secret and after weeks of discord, they are sent to different cities and go their separate ways with bitter confrontations their only memory. A century later, Pierson has a spotless reputation and zero friends. Horribly burned out and aching for something more, he transfers to another office. His reassignment is the impetus Mitchell needs to end the fierce competition with the man he should have treasured, and he shows up on Pierson’s doorstep, prepared to start over. However, Pierson is ready to move on and wants anyone other than Mitchell. With so many barriers standing between them, is it possible to find love and honor Fate?