Books Tagged With potential trigger - self-harm

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

Character Identities: Click here to revealAromantic, Bisexual, Demisexual, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Shattered by betrayal, Aria's Companions have separated. Aven and Del have retreated to the safety of the Water tribe, leaving Owyn and Treesi behind on land to stand with Aria and help their wounded Heir heal. Despite their best efforts, Aria retreats, rejecting them both. Owyn knows that he and Treesi can't do this alone. He starts riding out to the coastal villages surrounding Terraces, sending messages out to the deep, begging Aven to come back, telling him that the Heart can reach the Heir. Then he returns from one such trip to find Aria and Treesi have left Terraces, leaving him behind. Abandoned, Owyn leaves Terraces. Instead of following Aria, he goes north, trying to find a way to contact the Water tribes. Trying to find a way to save everything before it's too late. To do that, he must face his deepest fear, risk losing his heart, and accept help from the most unlikely of allies.

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.

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

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

Summary: In Jimmy McSwain’s world, death is ever-present, a concept that both taunts him and defines him. And now it’s about to consume him. A new client has come to Finley Investigations with a strange request: stop her husband from killing himself. But it’s not that simple of a request. Nick Juneau is ill and he’s told his wife that he doesn’t want those around him to have to watch him suffer. What can a seasoned private eye like Finn Sullivan, and his apprentice, do for this family? Before they can confront him, Jimmy is tasked with trailing Nick, who disappears for hours at a time, all without explanation. Jimmy has lots to learn about being a private investigator. The art of surveillance; finding one clue and understanding how it unlocks more pieces of an unsolvable puzzle; and most importantly, keeping to the job at hand. Stopping one man from doing something regretful doesn’t mean he has to save the world. Dark and edgy, sexy and raw, BURIAL PLOT is a tale that stretches from a boy’s past to a man’s future, and how one memory can shape the will to live.

Word Count: Click here to reveal71000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Vivian Chastain is an adrenaline addicted veteran, transitioning to civilian life in Sacramento, California. She settles into a new routine while she finishes up college and works as a bartender, covering up her intense anxiety with fake bravado and swagger. All Vivian wants is peace and quiet, but her whole trajectory changes when she stumbles upon a heinous crime in progress and has to fight for her life to get away. While recovering from the fight, she falls in love with someone who is tall in stature but short on emotional intelligence, and this toxic union provides Vivian the relationship that she thinks she needs. Given Vivian’s insecurities and traumatic past, she clings to the relationship even while it destroys her. Vivian’s relationships are strained to their breaking points as she continues to seek balance. She turns to her best friend for support, only to be left empty handed and alone until she finds comradery and care from the last person she would have thought.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: The day started as any other day would. Bellamy Delacroix was shopping with his brother, and then he headed home to the inevitable discussion about his future with his mother. A woman who still cooks despite technology that doesn’t require her to, his mother is an old-fashioned type in a future world. Then, his world explodes quite literally, and he’s swept up into a world beyond his imagination. A war between extraplanar creatures who call themselves angels and demons draws him in because of what he is. And what he is, no one has ever seen before—a Nephilim. He is the child of an angelic mother and a demonic father and is thus capable of channeling both the positive and negative energies of the planes. This makes him dangerous and a target for both the minions of heaven and hell. ​An angel named Saniel takes him under her wing and helps him adjust as he is brought to the underground city of heaven, Elysium. He learns about what he is, who they are, and their enemies in Zion, the demons. A warning from an ally of his mother, though, rings in his head, and he wonders who he should really be trusting. Things begin to spiral in ways he doesn’t understand, and the world is changing before his very eyes.

Word Count: Click here to reveal252 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sloan Driscoll is a talented graphic artist but compared to his father and younger brother—all star athletes—he’s never measured up. A lifetime of insecurity leads him down dark paths. His childhood friend, Cole Fujiwara, a former major league pitcher, embodies all of Sloan’s hidden aspirations. Cole is physically fit, attractive, intelligent, and successful. Seemingly perfect. When Sloan shows up on Cole’s NYC doorstep needing a place to stay, their reunion is anything but simple. Sloan has always been drawn to Cole, but now, even though there’s a girlfriend on the periphery, the attraction seems mutual. One night, inhibitions slip away. But both men are hiding a multitude of secrets. Salvation could be found within each other’s arms. But only if they let it.

Word Count: Click here to reveal32k (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The life of rock star, Dorian Gray and his lover, award winning film director Scott Newland, has been filled with highs and lows. Their love has transcended drug addiction and insecurities, but will it survive another’s revenge against Dorian?   This story shows the progression of these two men from friends to lovers and a backstage look at what a rock star faces onstage and off. As David would say, “My Name is Dorian Gray and I’m here For Your Entertainment.”  PLEASE NOTE: This story deals with drug and alcohol addiction. If these are triggers for you please skip this one!

Word Count: Click here to reveal82000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Jasper and Hamish have no intention of seeking out adventure, but adventure comes looking for them. Jasper's curiosity has carried him through encounters with ghouls, demons, world gates, and megalomaniac sorcerers. He plans to spend the next few years cataloging the mansion's vast and moldering library, and experimenting with magical construction. Professor Xsing, the raccoon not-quite-familiar who's decided to work with him, has fascinating opinions. Hamish, the sorcerer they rescued, is becoming a friend. It's silly for Jasper to wish for anything more. Hamish spent months chained in one small room. Now he lives free in a mansion full of books and friendly people, but adjusting isn't as simple as it should be. When his past weighs heavily, he can ramble the woods and fields. When he can't sleep, there's a nocturnal raccoon happy to share his explorations. But he's lonely, he misses his own long-lost familiar, and when he thinks he hears her ghost— even though familiars don't have ghosts— his life is about to be overturned. Something's afoot— ghost, spirit, familiar, wood mouse? With Silas, Darien, and their familiars headed off to France, Jasper and Hamish join forces to help those in need. And as they work together, an unexpected chance at love may fill the lonely corners of both their hearts. Found by Jasper is a novel in the Necromancer series, with our past heroes as side characters. Older MCs, friends to lovers, first times, demisexual. *Content warning for secondary character self-harm on page.*

Word Count: Click here to reveal119000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: One night. A second chance. The perfect match he never saw coming… On the outside, Mayr seems to have it all: a successful career as Head of the Guard for a prominent politician, family and friends who rely on him, and the attention of beautiful lovers. But appearances are a good way to bury secrets, including mistakes he can never fix and a broken heart that never seems to heal, forever searching for the one person to share his life with. When his last girlfriend takes him back and suggests an intimate night together with Tash, one of her lovers, Mayr reluctantly agrees. The last thing he expects is to fall hard for Tash, who is nothing like Mayr’s previous lovers… and much too difficult to forget. Tash is a secretive priest with deep, dark truths connected to a past he will never completely outrun. He keeps romance at a distance, knowing it can destroy him. Except with Mayr in his life, love might just ignore all the rules and push his limits. But when Tash undertakes the Uldana Trials, love may ruin them both. If Tash fails, he'll likely die. If he succeeds, he must give up Mayr and break both their hearts…

Word Count: Click here to reveal86000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rocker Jesse Winters just wants to be left alone. If he could melt into oblivion he would and bid farewell to the wild child of rock n’ roll so many have dubbed him in recent months. Truth is, there was never anything reckless, wild or even deliberate about most of the things that had happened on Wild Child’s last tour, but had anyone cared to listen? No! Which was precisely why he was sitting in a cabin high up in the Colorado mountains, hoping the incoming blizzard would bury him forever. Ryker Jorgensen left the VA hospital with a bunch of prescriptions and pamphlets on how to deal with reentering the civilian world, not that he’s in any hurry to do so. His nightmares still keep him up at night, and every new limitation he discovers gives him more reason to believe that he’s hopelessly useless now. Better to drive up to his cousin’s cabin and lick his wounds. Come spring, maybe, he’d look into being around people, if only for long enough to make the kind of money he’d need to buy his own secluded place. The last thing he ever expected to see was the man whose face had been plastered in his footlocker and his dreams for the better part of the past six years, but Jesse Winters is nothing like he imagined. When trying to leave Ryker out in the storm doesn’t work, Jesse resorts to ignoring him. But two wounded souls trapped in a snowed in cabin have little choice but to reach out for one another when emotions get frayed. His only hope is that Jesse will trust him enough to let him drag him back from the edge before he’s just another burned out star in the legacy that is rock n’ roll.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Bisexual, Pansexual, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: Still reeling from his final encounter with the Elders, Matthias finally reaches the promised safety of Haven. There, he is met with suspicion and accusations, learning too late that the new world he’s entered is built on as many illusions and lies as the world he’s left behind, and that the safe home he’s been searching for isn’t safe after all. When all the illusions come crashing down, and Matthias barely escapes with his life and his friends, he finds himself going back to the start—and finds himself one step closer to the truth.

Word Count: Click here to reveal33680 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hateful words and eight years separated Joey from his family, but a shocking discovery changes everything. After avoiding his hometown for years, Joey Waters reluctantly returns for his parents’ anniversary. Within moments of his arrival, he’s confronted with the ghost of his past: Patrick “Trick” Harrison, the man who’d shattered his heart with just a few cruel words. Joey believed he’d left those painful years behind, but seeing Trick again ignites a whirlwind of emotions he thought he’d buried. As old wounds break open, Joey is determined to ignore the man who’d caused him so much pain and sent him on a downward spiral in his college years. However, a staggering revelation about Trick forces Joey to reconsider everything he thought he knew. Can the two men overcome their troubled history, or will the scars of the past keep them apart forever? Tags: enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, Trick's secret, mm romance, gay romance, Joey's first love, jealous ex-lover / stalker, off page unalive reference, anxiety and depression, tattoos, family reunion Joey's Trick is a brother's best friend / enemies to lovers 33k word novella. There is, as always, a HEA in the cards for my two characters.

Word Count: Click here to reveal105K (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Gay, Non Binary, Questioning, Polyamorous, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Longtime friends Jackson Riley and Juliette (aka Jules) Baxter are committed to fulfilling their first year of business at their breakfast café, but trouble is brewing again in their personal lives. Jack and Reese Baxter are in a committed relationship -- or are they? Jack's not so certain given Reese's continued reluctance to come out of the closet. Jules has ended her polyamorous relationships, but she's juggling her romantic attraction to two café staff members - a man and a woman. Jules's parents split in their support of the cafe, and Reese's mother is making a big stink as well. When more details of Jack's secret past rise from the ashes, everything is thrown in turmoil. Will they all survive to celebrate?

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

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

Summary: Can he build his dreams with a destroyer? Beautiful young Elarhe, crown prince of Ayklinn, leaves his homeland disguised in rags because he wants to learn how to use his magic. He travels to a border city in the Grandimanderian Empire, where magic isn’t forbidden. But that land isn’t fond of immigrants; fear permeates its streets, and cruel things lurk in its shadows. One of these cruel things is a man who wields a terrible magic that—instead of healing or mending—deals only in death…. And Elarhe wants to rule his heart. As a child, Kite destroyed an entire city with his dark magic. Now, he serves the Overfather of Grandimanderia. Feared and alone, Kite is content with the ice in his veins…until a talented young immigrant challenges everything he thought he knew. This gay erotic romance depicts two lovers testing each other’s boundaries and discovering new experiences together. It contains sexually explicit scenes, including scenes with BDSM and various fetishes such as bondage (cuffs, suspension, straitjacket), pony play, spanking, flogging, gut punching, wax play, and others. Some scenes are extreme. (But there’s actually a story!)

Word Count: Click here to reveal103000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: First I was a sorcerer. Then I was a hermit. For so long—for years that seemed to go on forever—I couldn't bear to be touched. I put up not just walls but whole stone bunkers to keep everyone out, emotionally, and physically as well. I was protected from people, from ghosts, from specters real and imagined. Sure, I was alone. But I felt safe. Only, after a while, I wasn't sure any longer whether a totally "safe" empty life was really worth living. Then Tobin came along. Out of the blue, out of my past, with a summons from the king that he wouldn't let me ignore. I tried to cling to my isolation, but he wouldn't give up on me. Tobin never believed in walls. This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. 103,000 words

Word Count: Click here to reveal113803 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tragedy struck one night, leaving Nathan with a permanent limp and a curse—the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. For six years, Nathan’s done everything he can to avoid them. But a persistent ghost, Alan, haunts Nathan every chance he gets until Nathan reluctantly agrees to reunite him with his fiancé for a chance to find peace. A turn of fate and a stolen CD brings Erik into Nathan’s life. Erik is everything Nathan believes he doesn’t deserve. But Erik is Alan’s lost love. Now he must untangle the threads of Alan’s death while hoping to keep the newfound love of his life. Will Nathan decide to expose his supernatural burden, or let Alan wander without rest forever? Love and trust hang in the balance as Nathan confronts the ghosts of his past and the man who threatens to shatter the wall guarding his heart.

Word Count: Click here to reveal100000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Bisexual, Gay, Genderfluid, Lesbian, Non Binary, Polyamorous, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Dragons don't care what gender you are. A small town may be a refuge, or a trap. Some younger brothers really do save the planet. Three people can be the strongest shape. There's nothing quite like a gorgeous girl on a shape-shifting motorcycle. This second Kira Harp collection brings together LGBTQ teens in 21 stories of adventure, discovery, and romance, in fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, and SciFi settings. Ranging from a few short pages to 12,000 words, each story was inspired by a prompt picture from the YA LGBTQ Books Group on Goodreads. (Content warnings for abduction, bullying, self harm, substance abuse, suicidal ideation.) **This book is free in ebook everywhere except Amazon

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

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

Summary: Welcome to Bear Essentials, where we strive to make your inner beauty shine bright. Mel Carter is perfectly content with their life. A chance encounter and a size fifteen foot in their mouth later, content is no longer acceptable. Elias Garcia slammed into Mel's life with a carefree giggle. There was only one thing for a Dommy with a penchant for strict rules like Mel to do, assess their life and take the leap, okay two things. Join Bear Essentials' front-end manager as they discover just how special the full-time genius, part-time free spirit, Elias aka Blu, really is. Ruling It All is an M-NB sweet and fluffy romance with BDSM concepts, an age gap, pets who are "silent" characters, and an AI that will cause more than a little mishap.

Word Count: Click here to reveal54500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Beyond the shadows, his love held true for only one man Derek Lawrence is a player. There is no other way to phrase it. He's been unstoppable since coming out in high school. Guy after guy, conquest after conquest. He isn't looking for any kind of commitment from anyone. His life is perfect the way it is. Except for one rather significant exception. Derek has been in love with his best friend and business partner, Justin Leary, since the first day he set eyes on him over twenty years ago. When an implication surfaces that Justin's feelings for Derek might also run deeper than friendship, he considers approaching Justin about it. But before he can, one targeted act of violence followed by the aftermath of violation challenges the depth of Derek's love for Justin.

Word Count: Click here to reveal136000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In a relationship that violates rules and expectations, Mayr and Tash have found their perfect match in each other. Despite their fears and difficult pasts, they hope for a shared future with security and a family. When Mayr's secret first love, Arieve, proposes they create that family with her, it seems dreams could become reality. But life is complicated, and so is the delicate balance between duty and love. While Mayr protects the Dahe family at all costs, Tash is determined to succeed as a priest. Both positions require sacrifice, forcing their relationship into painful choices. To make matters worse, criminals lurk in the shadows, seeking revenge on them and those they guard. The life they want risks losing everything—including Arieve and each other. Even if they can have it all, keeping it may take more than they can give.