Books Tagged With what - concept - resilience

Word Count: Click here to reveal45000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: There’s no glory in custodial work. That never bothered campus janitor Carl Gibson any. He worked hard—had to. His love life was a tragedy best not reopened and his only hope for the happiness he broadcast to the world was in two things: Halloween and the shrill, ever-demanding bark of his darling Lilah. But Halloween decorations were being displaced by Christmas already, and his precious pug? He could only hope she’d hold on a bit longer. Austin Edwards had failed his little boy. The most junior dining manager at the college, when everyone called out on Halloween, he got called in. The house lights were all dark. except one. A sparkling hope of legend at the college. For his boy’s sake, he hoped Carl was as crazy about Halloween as the stories said. When Carl filled his son’s empty bag with candy, Austin couldn’t help but wonder why such a wonderful man was so alone. He had to find out. With Christmas fast approaching, Carl and Austin tip-toe into dating. But they both have ghosts and memories to contend with. Can Austin be Carl’s Christmas vision? Or will Carl retreat, as he always has?

Word Count: Click here to reveal85788 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Kris Starr used to be famous. Rock and roll. Sold-out shows. Literal magic. Empathic talents and screaming fans. But he has a problem or two. He's having a hard time writing new music. It's Midwinter, which means he's surrounded by depressing holiday cheer. And he's in love with Justin, his manager, who has a talent for rescuing almost- or once-famous bands ... and who's hiding secrets of his own. Justin Moore, on the other hand, is very good at keeping those secrets -- he's had to be for years. One secret involves a demonic inheritance that would make him a target of suspicion. Another involves his past. And the third involves Justin's feelings for Kris Starr, rock and roll icon and now his client ... and a powerful empath.

Word Count: Click here to reveal48000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Deep love, hot kink. Secrets call for a shot of trust when true danger lurks in LA's hidden places. __________ Brian Harrison wants to keep everyone safe -- especially his beloved sub, Jackie Vasquez -- and he’s convinced the only way to do that is to dig ever deeper in a forbidden investigation. Keeping his activities secret from the State Department means keeping them from his own boss, Luki Vasquez, and keeping secrets from Luki means Jackie can’t know either. Meanwhile, Jackie keeps his own secrets as his kind heart and indomitable spirit drive him to find and help a mysterious homeless woman, who may be connected to a kidnapping. Both men dance around dangers lurking in LA’s hidden places. Love continues to grow, adventurous kink heats up, and a marriage proposal still hangs in the balance. Can a willing shot of trust keep them together and alive when secrets collide?

Word Count: Click here to reveal41591 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Opposites attract when the timid bar owner asks out the resident bad boy. Brad Flynn’s reputation doesn’t change just because he has. Prison might not have been fun, but he’d made the most of it. Since his release, he’s tried to make the most out of his freedom as well. His handyperson business is taking off, but his clientele is in the nearby towns. When local bar owner, Kendrick Ashby, calls him to fix a leaky roof, he doesn’t expect the attraction he feels to go anywhere. Kendrick’s violent past doesn’t make asking him out on a date a simple task. Can Brad be brave enough to start over?

Word Count: Click here to reveal51000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Can a night of passion lead to a happily ever after?

Yakuza captain Hayato’s life is a mess. His boyfriend broke up with him, changed the locks, and kept all his stuff. He can’t crash at his brother’s because his girlfriend is moving in. And just when Hayato thinks things can’t get worse, he accidentally gets blackout drunk and wakes up in the arms of a clingy underling.

Masuo believes he and his boss made a deep connection, but when he’s blown off the next morning, he feels lied to. Assigned to run a failing pachinko parlor, Masuo is determined to turn it around to prove himself to everyone…especially his sexy superior.

When Hayato realizes he’s falling for the young parlor manager, he is more than ready for fun. But as Hayato’s tragic past comes back to haunt him, Masuo wonders if he’s ready to carry all Hayato’s baggage.

Can the unlikely pair learn to accept each other and find their way to happiness even while new challenges arise, or is their love destined to fall like balls through a pachinko machine?

Buy Addicted to Lust to find love in crime today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal7,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Non Binary (Click here to hide)

Summary: What would the Earth look like if the very atoms that compose the planet were suffused with magical aether? How would our lives in the modern world be different if this aether was discovered last year, or last decade, or last century, or last millennia? How might the people who inhabit this oh-so-different but still modern Earth explore their gender identities? These are the questions we posed to the 17 authors chosen to contribute to Duck Prints Press's newest anthology Aether Beyond the Binary. Their diverse answers are bound together in this must-not-miss collection of stories about magical worlds, adventures and mysteries, new chances and well-earned endings, and characters as gender-diverse as the worlds they inhabit.

Word Count: Click here to reveal120000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: May-December love is sweet… but December doesn’t last forever. Tim Davis always knew he’d likely outlive his older husband. He just thought they’d have more time. He also never imagined that their final years together would revolve around a grueling and protracted battle with cancer. Eighteen months later, he’s still coming to terms with his loss and his new life. Where does he go from here? Alex Ouellette is drowning in grief and survivor’s guilt, constantly reliving the moment his world stopped. Then a friend suggests that a change of scenery and the company of men who’ve been through similar losses could do him some good. Alex is dubious, but he agrees to go. Neither man has high hopes for this widowers’ retreat. Grief and loneliness have been constant and unwelcome companions, though. At this point, they’ll try anything. The last thing either anticipates when they get there? A powerful spark of attraction. Friendship blooms. Then more. They bond over their grief, but also find joy, laughter, and a connection neither expected to ever feel again. As their broken worlds collide, both Tim and Alex finally have unexpected hope that there’s life after loss. But grief’s dark clouds are never far behind, and the past could be the one thing standing in the way of a happy future. After December is a 120,000-word standalone gay romance novel.

Word Count: Click here to reveal117000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealAromantic, Non Binary (Click here to hide)

Summary: Three all-ages fairy tales of kindness and acceptance, beautifully illustrated and presented in English and Romanian. Alia Terra: Basme din Tărâmul Dragonilor conține trei povești diverse pentru toate vârstele. Alia Terra: Stories from the Dragon Realm draws from personal experiences, Romanian folklore with Dacian roots, and our fundamental need—to believe in ourselves. Richly illustrated by Michigan artist Matthew Spencer in shades of color and gender, the words of Ava Kelly assure that we all belong. “Ava Kelly’s book of bilingual Romanian/English fairytales is both necessary and a delight. While queer writing is being suppressed in many countries of Eastern Europe, this volume offers comfort and consolation with queer-normative stories that reach back to the familiar themes of childhood, and provide renewed hope. Mages, princesses, and above all, dragons populate the world of Alia Terra, richly illustrated by Matthew Spencer. Characters go against expectations, and learn to live true to themselves: curses turn into blessings, flying creatures find a new beginning underwater, and even love acquires new meaning. From aromanticism to nonbinary gender, LGBTQIA+ themes in Alia Terra are always portrayed with a gentle kindness that we need in our lives, and an eager, resilient confidence. Read the stories and share them with your loved ones!” —Bogi Takács, Hugo and Lambda Award-winning author

Word Count: Click here to reveal61725 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Trevor comes out as bisexual, meets the man of his dreams, and learns he's a new dad. Will he be able to survive his conservative parent's wrath? Two years after Peter lost his fiancée, he’s convinced love isn’t in his future. At least until sexy new father Trevor and his very opinionated infant son step into his life. As their relationship begins to blossom and grow, the baby’s disapproving grandparents decide to intervene. Will Trevor and Peter have the strength to overcome the obstacles they face to have another chance with love?

Word Count: Click here to reveal110000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Welcome to another place in time...where one can be swept away into lands and eras long forgotten. This collection of short stories was birthed because a sworn "I don't like historicals" reader fell in love with what have become some of her favorite books by most of her favorite writers. Surprisingly, they were all historicals. Determined to make others feel the love, these authors were asked to contribute small tastes of how amazing historical storytelling can be. Along with a foreword written by Alex Beecroft, enjoy these original short stories that make up "Another Place in Time". Office Romance by Tamara Allen The post-war economy is at a standstill, much like Foster Wetherly’s life until he’s forced to do battle with irritatingly confident—and competent—fellow ex-doughboy Casey Gladwin for a position in their shrinking department at Manhattan Security Mutual. Introducing Mr. Winterbourne by Joanna Chambers Lysander Winterbourne appears to lead a charmed life. Handsome, amiable, and a renowned sportsman, he is the darling of London society. As far as Adam Freeman is concerned though, Lysander is just another spoiled aristocrat. A wealthy mill owner, Adam has no time for the frivolous world of the ton, but when his younger brother becomes engaged to Althea Winterbourne, he reluctantly agrees to be introduced to society–with the Winterbourne clan’s golden boy as his guide. Resigning himself to a few days of boredom, Adam is surprised to learn that there is much more to Lysander than his perfect surface. But will Adam have the courage to introduce Lysander Winterbourne to his own secret self? The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by KJ Charles Lord Gabriel Ashleigh is a ruined man. Last night he lost everything at the card tables to his brother’s worst enemy, notorious gambler Francis Webster. Tonight, he’s going back for one more game. Ash thinks he has nothing left to lose. But Francis sets the stakes, and they’re higher than Ash could have imagined… Two Regency bucks. One game of cards. Everything to play for. Unfair in Love and War by Kaje Harper Many men lost brothers overseas in the summer of 1944. Warren Burch was one of them. For months he still clung to his big city life in Philadelphia, but finally he's made the difficult choice to return to his home town. Warren's polio-stricken leg won't let him serve, so the least he can do is be there for his mother, when brother Charlie never again will. Arriving home means a whole new life, constrained by the rhythms and prejudices of a small town. Fortunately, it's made more interesting by the mysterious and attractive young man next door. Carousel by Jordan L. Hawk When a child goes missing, is it a simple case of a young runaway, or are more sinister forces at work? “Carousel” is part of the Whyborne & Griffin series and takes place between the events of Stormhaven and Necropolis. It can be read as a standalone. Deliverance by Aleksandr Voinov This is a re-vamped, re-edited, improved version of "Deliverance". It's about William Raven, a templar, who thought he'd escaped his past. (Same character as in "The Lion of Kent".)

Word Count: Click here to reveal44945 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Eos is after her wings and Kenner’s mate, Como, holds the key to finding them. Como brings his dreams to life on canvas. His art has mentally protected him most of his life and now Kenner wants to take over that job. How can Como open up and explain everything to his mate when he doesn’t understand most of it himself? Como knows he must try, but fear has always ruled him and right now he's fearing he might lose Kenner before he could even claim him. Kenner knew Como was a gifted artist. However, he also knew he had hidden secrets that if not told could mean both their lives. Kenner needed to gain Como’s trust before it was too late because if Eos got her hands on those wings it would mean the lives of all Shifters on Haven and around the world.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tal finally had it all…until the man he loved abandoned him. Once, Tal Oryan was an elite warrior, fighting for the kingdom at the side of the powerful general who loved him. Then Tal loses everything in a haze of pain and betrayal after his hand is severed in battle. Now labeled a “cripple” and cast out from the warrior life he’s known for so long, he has no choice but to return to his past, a place of horror and guilt. He can no longer stay in the capital after High General Ramidine Swal, the man who once claimed him, never shows up after Tal is wounded. Worst of all, the priceless sword Ramidine once gifted to Tal is gone. Now Tal struggles to find a new purpose as the traumatic events in his past demand the most brutal of sacrifices… Ramidine Swal is known as The Golden General, feared, revered, and the right-hand man to the prince. But when he returns from a desperate victory to Tal, the wounded warrior he was forced to leave behind, he discovers that Tal has fled the capital. Ramidine soon learns of a twisted cover-up and a betrayal so dark it threatens not only the future peace but the very man he loves. Ramidine is not a man to be stolen from, and certainly not someone so precious as Tal. He is determined to find Tal and set things right, no matter the distance and no matter the cost. Tal will be his again.

Word Count: Click here to reveal121000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A child’s memory. A journey’s end. Lance doesn’t remember the time before Ulfr found him. It’s a dark pit in his mind that he avoids at all costs. And yet, despite his best efforts, pieces start to fall, and echoes from the past begin to ring. However, he has little time to comprehend their meaning, since the Captain of the Imperial Army herself has come to collect him and bring him to the capital city of the Nifdem Empire. Whisked away to the gilded streets and glittering court of the Hill of Tarran, and then to the snowy reaches of Swenen, Lance and Gust will learn the answers to questions they’ve had from the start. And be forced to acknowledge their roles in the survival of the empire and the ripple effects of their actions. But such knowledge can come at a steep price. As allies and enemies begin to step from the shadows, Lance will learn the truth of his past and the price of his redemption, and all the pain that comes with them. While Gust will have to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to safeguard the one he loves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal78000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In the final installment in the SoulShares series, author Rory Ni Coileain weaves together the myriad threads of this compelling paranormal romance in a climax that crosses time and space. Sometimes Fae love stories aren’t what you expect. The Marfach—devourer of magick, long-imprisoned mortal enemy of the Fae race—is free of its Antarctic prison. The Demesne of Purgatory—Fae, humans, a Fade-hound puppy, a Gille Dubh, and a darag—is all that stands between the monster and the power it needs to destroy both the Fae Realm and the human world. The only clue they have as to how to kill the unkillable is a cryptic note from the Loremasters: “Osclór, Nartú; Tobar, Soladán; Nidantór, Breathea; Glanadorh, Coromór, Farthor; Scian-omprór, Nachangalte; Crangaol, Síofra; Gastiór, Laoc, Caomhnór; Fánadh, Ngarradh.” Opener, Strength; Wellspring, Channel; Unmaker, Judge; Cleanser, Equalizer, Sentry; Blade-bearer, Unbound; Tree-kin, Changeling; Binder, Warrior, Guardian; Wanderer, Sundered. As they rebuild Purgatory from the rubble the Marfach left behind, they have to stand together, using everything they know—everything they are to their partners, lovers, husbands. Everything SoulSharing has made them. And not everyone who enters the final battle will leave it.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: He never wanted a sexy vampire for a fated mate, but that doesn’t stop him from falling in love. There’s only two things Tim knows for sure. One is farming. The other is how to be a bigot. But he only wants to hang on to one of those things. Just when he thinks he has let go of the past and opened his heart and mind to other people, along comes a vampire who will rock his new lease on life on its foundation. What do you do when your life changes in the blink of an eye? That’s the question Keaton had been asking himself, and he still hadn’t found an answer to it. He has yet to figure out if the change is good or bad. It seems good when the Alpha of Saint Lakes gets him a job working with animals on a farm. Even better when he meets his fated mate. He finds out his fated mate doesn’t like him because he’s a vampire. And Keaton has an even bigger problem. One in the form of a senator’s henchman. He has two choices: Become a kidnapped experiment or betray the Saint Lakes clan.

Word Count: Click here to reveal88000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Preston Hawthorneonca-Stone is a warrior. In a fit of rage, his father changed Preston’s life on a horrible day in 1994. Now a brain injury survivor, Preston lives with his brother and their growing family. A recent addition to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, Preston has landed his dream job of working with animals. Resurrected in 1995, Ridgely Walsh is dedicated to his job and the tightknit group of friends he considers family. With his penchant for honesty, Ridgely is the level-headed and sometimes hard-assed member of their little group. Ridgely doesn’t play foolish games, and he accepts people at face value. Although Ridgely yearns for a mate, nothing prepares him for the moment he meets Preston. The beautiful jaguar-human hybrid with the big brown eyes halts Ridgely in his tracks. Ridgely rapidly discovers his true purpose is to be a good partner to his other half. Preston is equally taken with Ridgely but fears how the fallen knight will handle his imperfections. Together, they must navigate the path Fate chose for them and discover what it means to love unconditionally.

Word Count: Click here to reveal25000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: From the outside looking in, John leads a boring life by day as a professor at a small liberal arts school in San Francisco. His nights are saucy, sinful even, when he services clients as a sex worker. He’s damned good at it, too, for reasons far surpassing simple technique, whether he’s entertaining super-hunky coeds or fulfilling the fantasies of married men on the down-low. Because John has a secret. It’s not that he’s thirty-five and feeling washed-up or that he’s got a crush on one of his clients. His secret could be he’s buried his rural, Southern roots, or that Paul, his first lover and preacher from back home, still preoccupies his thoughts. Maybe it’s the terrors he faced in conversion therapy as a teenager…but it’s none of those things. John’s secret is the Fountain, a mysterious well of energy within him he cannot control. Paul knows about the Fountain. So do John’s parents. Despite their best efforts to protect their dogma, it will all come out now that Paul has called John home to Georgia. To Bethesda.

Word Count: Click here to reveal64500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The bull shifter, Ryan, and his human mate, Caleb, have made a good life together. Alongside Caleb’s mother, Mandy, they run an animal rehabilitation center on their ranch. Ryan has become the honorary uncle to two young bull shifters, and Caleb is proud at how well his mate has acclimated to the human world. For Ryan, he’s found the family and the peace he’s long craved, and he’s determined to keep it by whatever means necessary. But their quiet lives are disrupted when Caleb’s aunt—Chief Hera of the US Agency—visits. And she brings a dire warning: the Knights of the Dawn want Ryan’s blood. After losing someone precious to them during a skirmish with the knights, Caleb spirals into grief, and Ryan must work through his guilt and sorrow to care for his mate. A task made easier when Hera stays with her nephews, sharing their heartache. After they retreat to Haven, Montana, they begin the long process of healing. Unfortunately, Haven is in a state of unrest, and they are sucked into shifter politics that threaten the safety of the community as a whole. Meanwhile, the knights still need Ryan’s blood, and he can’t hide forever. Note to readers: Caleb and Ryan first show up in Love is a Whirlwind. While many of these books can be read alone, for full enjoyment please read previous books in the series, as this one does have many cameos and character resolutions.

Word Count: Click here to reveal60000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Standoffish Aiden is content keeping people at a distance and ensuring his boundaries are impenetrable. There’s safety in not opening up, but there’s also a loneliness he doesn’t realise exists until he meets Riley, a new member of the LGBTQIA+ adventure group Outback Boys. Fascinated by the new guy, Aiden is quick to discover his flirtation skills are rusty and his sweet-talking is cringeworthy. But sweet and clumsy Riley doesn’t seem to mind so much. Even though Riley doesn’t quite know how to handle Aiden’s intensity, he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone and see how their tentative friendship unravels. Between a surf lesson that resembles a kangaroo on acid and paddle boarding that is trickier than walking a tightrope, Aiden and Riley discover love may be a possibility after all. Happiness relies on honesty and openness, though. And with both men holding on tightly to past struggles, their future together is at risk. Can the two Aussies bounce back and heal themselves and each other, or are some wounds too raw to recover from? Outback Boys is a sweet and sexy M/M romance series complete with bruised butts, rope burn, and overworked muscles… all in the pursuit of adventure, of course!

Trigger Warning: Contains themes (discussions) of mental illness and suicide.