Books Tagged With what - condition - ptsd

Word Count: Click here to reveal142000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hank Schatz~ One of my toughest decisions was to join the Army after graduating high school. My second toughest was to decide it was time to get out. I wanted more than that life had to offer—namely the return of my humanity and a life beyond the pain that had leached into my soul during my deployments. Without a hint at what to do next, I said goodbye to my Army life and headed home to Missouri. There were things I’d been hiding from my family for too many years—a secret that had nothing to do with my career as an Army Ranger. It was time I began to live my truth, but how to start, I didn’t know. I was aware of one thing for sure—I didn’t want to be lonely anymore. ## Reed Bayless~ I had a job I loved as a Special Education teacher at Carver Middle School in central Missouri. The kids were amazing, and their parents were supportive, unlike my last school where the parents believed their expensive tuition relieved them of their obligations to actually participate in their children’s education. Sadly, I was still alone, and I was getting a little long in the tooth to play the one-night game. Unexpectedly, my diamond brought her brother to the Christmas Eve service at the local Lutheran church, and I found myself off-balance by the gorgeous man. I felt there was a sadness about him that made me want to hold him in my arms until his hurts healed. Of course, he was an Army Ranger, the toughest of the tough and the straightest of the straight. Between Ranger Hank, and his dog, Cosmo, I wanted things I couldn’t imagine were possible. Or were they?  This work of fiction is approximately 142,000 words in length and doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. It is the first book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.”

Word Count: Click here to reveal53,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: After being raped by a superior officer, MA3 Kim Lockhoff wants to leave the whole thing in the past. A cop herself, she knows all too well that it’s her word—and slutty reputation—against that of a respected Navy officer. MA2 Reese Marion, a tough cop hiding her own trauma behind a hard-as-nails exterior, has no patience for pretty little princesses who use their cleavage to win favor with the guys. But when Reese is partnered with Kim, she slowly realizes that reputations can lie. Kim is whip-smart, ambitious—and scared. The man who attacked her won’t let anything damage his career, least of all Kim . . . or the baby she’s carrying as a result. Isolated on Okinawa, thousands of miles away from home, the two women lean hard on each other. But when Kim confides in Reese, she unwittingly puts her new lover—and both of their careers—in the line of fire. Now her attacker just might have the leverage he needs to keep her quiet for good.

Word Count: Click here to reveal89000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A forty-something single dad, a twenty-something hockey star, and a whole lot of baggage. No, this couldn’t possibly blow up in their faces. Officer Geoff Logan has his plate full. His cop’s salary and Marine retirement aren’t enough to make ends meet. He’s got war wounds and demons that are in it for the long haul. His teenagers are, well, teenagers, plus they’re pissed that he left the boyfriend they loved. Can’t a guy catch a break? Seattle Snowhawks center Asher Crowe has it all. A seven figure salary. A literal house on a hill. A stable, loving relationship with an amazing boyfriend. At least, that’s what the world sees. Behind closed doors, he’s been living in a private hell, and when he finally works up the courage to end things, his boyfriend refuses to go quietly. One call to the cops, and suddenly Geoff and Asher’s paths cross. But is the connection between them simple chemistry? Kindred spirits? Or just a pair of lonely hearts looking for a hot distraction? And even if it’s more than physical, is there really a future for two men from such vastly different worlds? Especially when the past comes knocking? This novel is approximately 89,000 words long.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: ome scars can't be seen. For over a year now, it's been the same thing. At six o'clock every night Connor starts watching the door for him. Like clockwork, every night the guy with the sad eyes comes into the bar, orders a single drink, and leaves again. He never speaks. Never smiles. Just drinks and leaves. Until the night he orders a second drink and Connor finally gets him to speak. After the brief conversation, Connor is more intrigued than ever – but it's not until a chance meeting after work one evening that he even learns the guy's name. Two years ago, a fire left Lucas with extensive scarring. A year ago, his partner, unable to cope with the aftermath of the event, left him. Battling nightmares, depression, and survivor guilt, Lucas turns more and more often to vodka for company. Until he drops his pizza order and the guy who steps in to help him is the bar tender who has been serving his drinks for the past year. How can Connor understand the true horror of what happened to Lucas? How can he convince Lucas to accept his feelings and start looking to the future instead of the past? Recovery is a stand-alone contemporary gay romance.

Word Count: Click here to reveal234 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sequel to Fire Horse Finally reunited, Preston Fawkes and Konrad Schnell put family and obligations aside, preferring to remain in seclusion on Ned’s estate to get reacquainted. Unfortunately, reality can only be held off for so long, and they return to Texas to reclaim the life they put on pause. Trying to strike the right balance between business, family, and romance requires ongoing effort, and the challenges begin shortly after they arrive. At the top of the list is Bandi, Konrad’s son, and his desire to play polo. A close second is Conrad “Sasha” Fawkes, Preston’s actor son who’s struggling to succeed on Broadway. And last, but certainly not least, is Paloma, the fiery Argentinean beauty Preston sired after a passionate tango. Blending the interests and needs of three grown children is difficult at best and almost impossible when agendas collide and old secrets are unearthed. The situation comes to a head when the family gathers in San Antonio for Thanksgiving, throwing Preston and Konrad into a maelstrom they must weather as best they can, or they’ll face a major ride-off that could throw the game before it even starts.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal49,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Despised by his family for being a living reminder of his father’s infidelity, Rudy never expected that a blind date mix up would change his life. Meeting Clay, an engineer fresh out of the military, is the answer to Rudy’s dreams, becoming Rudy’s co-worker, protector and lover all rolled into one gorgeous package. But filled with hate, Donny, Rudy’s older half-brother, tries to destroy him and stop Rudy from saving his grandfather’s toy factory. Only Clay can save Rudy’s life and the toy factory, if he’s not too late.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal57,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rudy and Clay are deeply in love and expecting the birth of their boys thanks to Clay’s twin sister, Clarice. Tragedy strikes, and Rudy and Clay become parents to not just their twins, but Clarice and Patrick’s three little girls as well. They desperately need help with the five kids so Rudy hires a ‘manny’, Jackson Frost. But Frost comes with a horrible past. Guilty of betrayal, and for almost killing Clay while they were in the military, he is freshly released from prison and desperate for work. The man is definitely not Clay’s first choice as a caregiver for his children. Strange things begin to happen, leading them to think that Patrick and Clarice were not just a random attack. Then Rudy is suddenly kidnapped. The clock is ticking and despite their past, Jackson and Clay must join forces to find Rudy before he is killed, or worse…  

Word Count: Click here to reveal76100 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Heavily crushing on his attractive neighbor Tobias,  Boston newcomer and vegan Kyle Slidell is thrilled when Tobias agrees to a dinner date. But while picking strawberries in the community garden for their dessert, Kyle comes face to face with something he couldn’t anticipate: A wolf. In East Boston. Who attacks him. Kyle awakens in Tobias’s living room in a world he barely understands, but he learns three things: He is now a werewolf, Tobias is the Alpha of the pack Kyle’s attacker belongs to…and Kyle is still damned if he’ll eat meat. And soon he discovers that he is fated to be Tobias’s mate. Good thing he already likes the guy. Adjusting to being a werewolf is far from easy,  never mind adjusting to having a predestined mate and the disapproval of his packmates. And it’s even more complicated when a wolf from a neighboring pack, determined to destroy Tobias, kidnaps the pack’s healer. Immune to the power Tobias holds to command his pack, Kyle disobeys his mate and goes to the rescue–and to  lengths he never imagined possible. This book was originally published in 2011. The current version has been revised and re-edited with some content added. The story contains discussion of past sexual trauma (the trauma does not occur on-page, the conversation does), physical violence between werewolves, abduction, and a werewolf Alpha living with PTSD.

Word Count: Click here to reveal32000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Haunted by his years at war, Boston paramedic Gael Dominic spends his time saving other people’s lives. An empty house, a single friend, and living at work, Gael is not content with his existence, but he’s close. Gael was expecting his overnight shift on Thanksgiving to be the same as always—manic crowds, heart attacks...until catastrophe strikes, and Boston’s streets run with blood. On the run from an abusive and politically powerful father, Silas has been on the cold, mean streets of Boston for days, injured, hungry and alone. When he wakes up in the middle of a nightmare, he expects to die in the same alley he was calling home. Brought together by tragedy, Silas and Gael can’t resist their attraction. Gael may have saved Silas, but it’s his alleyway angel who brings Gael back to life. As Christmas approaches, Silas and Gael learn how to love, despite their pasts. And as Silas' past closes in, Gael learns the greatest gift he could ever give isn't something bought in a store, but freely given from the heart.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Theodore Burnett has never been a hero. He prefers comfort to combat-spells, and jam-slathered scones to muddy boots. Fortunately, as the youngest-ever head librarian at the Royal College of Wizardry, Theo can spend his days with books and bibliomancy in place of battle-magic or politics -- and in any case Napoleon’s been defeated and the war’s been won. But now there’s a wounded captain of the Magicians’ Corps in Theo’s library. And he needs Theo’s help. And Theo can never resist a mystery, especially when that mystery’s tall and tempting and handsome. Captain Henry Tourmaline, formerly of His Majesty’s Army and the Magicians’ Corps, requires assistance. He’s returned to London with scars on his body, soul, and heart -- war, after all, will do that to anyone. But one of those scars refuses to heal, a curse that’s slowly draining Henry’s magic and eventually his life. The physicians have no answers, so Henry turns to the College’s books ... and the College’s attractive head librarian. But the curse is unpredictable, and the last thing Henry wants is to drag someone else into the line of fire, particularly someone as kind and innocent and brilliant as Theo. Theo wants to save Henry. Henry wants to keep Theo safe. Together, perhaps they can do both ... while uncovering a perilous secret behind a spell, a deadly puzzle in the archives, and their own heart’s desires.

Word Count: Click here to reveal140000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The Shinobi Saga tells the story of the modern day ninja Yoshi, shadow wolf of the Takahashi clan.In a nation where conformity is prized, he is an anomaly, a beautiful and deadly albino, coveted for his exotic looks as much as his skills in the shinobi arts. From a young age he finds himself shackled by the bonds of duty, forced into play as a sexual bargaining chip for the welfare of his shuudan. Will love be sacrificed when duty and honor rule all? The life of a shinobi is, at its best, a selfless devotion to duty. In modern day Japan, the ninja legends live on in a grim saga of political maneuverings, betrayal, sexual abuse, torture and homoeroticism. The Shinobi clans lurk in the shadows, performing services that not even the hardened Yakuza will touch. Takahashi Yoshi fulfills his duty with soul-stripping resolve, each assignment driving a nail into a coffin of lost faith. After years of sexual abuse and torture in the name of clan honor, Yoshi must learn to trust, but the man who offers him hope is himself flawed. Sasaki Makoto has spent a career in torture and interrogation, exploring not only the dark secrets of his clan's enemies, but also the darkness within his own heart. How far must Yoshi run to escape his shame and torment? And what price freedom when fear and self-loathing threaten to upend the hard fought struggle to find meaning and safety in a world fraught with danger. Yoshi seeks time and space, only to find himself once more at the mercy of power mongers and despots. When Makoto finds him, Yoshi is broken in more than body. Near death, his spirit recedes to find safety within, locking out all who care. They say time will heal but the path to acceptance is never easy, the roadblocks many, and none will emerge unscathed as Yoshi embarks on a struggle for balance. Shinobi is transgressive M/M literary fiction. It utilizes adult language and adult situations. It depicts violence, explicit sex and disturbing scenes/images. If you are offended by male/male eroticism, sexual situations, depiction of BDSM elements, and strong language you might not enjoy this work.

Word Count: Click here to reveal79000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Anax Tobias Rogan, ruler of all werewolves in the United States, has never liked Christmas. But this year, his mate, vegan werewolf Kyle Slidell, and their young guard Quinn Boucher are eager to celebrate, and Tobias is trying to find the holiday spirit. He’s even planned the perfect gift for Kyle, one he hopes will revitalize the relationship that has been frayed by Tobias claiming the rank of Anax. A call from Jed Howe, the Alpha who took in Tobias after he was changed as a teen, changes everything. Jed has slipped into dementia and believes the Alpha of a nearby pack is trying to steal his rank. Although Tobias manages to calm Jed, he knows the time he has dreaded has come. Jed is no longer fit to rule a pack, and Tobias must intervene before he causes any harm. But before Tobias is able to stop him, Jed takes drastic and dangerous action against the other Alpha. Now Tobias, battling his own demons, is faced with the most difficult task of his life: Removing the man he considers a father from his rank–permanently. This book includes references to abuse and sexual assault in characters’ pasts, depictions of PTSD, and the off-page suicide of a character.

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.

Word Count: Click here to reveal115000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Holden Russell let his job consume his life for too long, and it took his wife leaving for him to realize it’s time for a change. His marriage is over, but he’s determined to do right by his kids, starting with fewer hours at work and more with them. Except it’s no longer the kids competing with his job for his attention. It’s Holden competing for their attention… with their new live-in nanny. Their very hot male live-in nanny. Porter Blake never saw himself becoming a nanny, but okay. After burnout and PTSD drove him from his job as a paramedic, he’s desperate for something new, and it turns out the nanny gig isn’t so bad. The pay is decent, the stress is manageable, the kids are great, and their mom is cool. It’s the ex-husband he’s not so sure about. The situation is awkward enough when Porter and Holden are butting heads. When they find some common ground and their mutual attraction becomes too much to ignore, things are bound to get complicated. And unless they want Porter to lose his job, they’re going to have to fly under the ex-wife’s radar. Except secrets like this have a way of coming out… This standalone novel is approximately 115,000 words long.

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

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

Summary: Felix only wants two things: 1. To make music. 2. His best friend, Emery. But he’s not willing to risk two decades of friendship for something more. Besides, a bout of writer’s block is preventing him from creating new material, and he’s got deadlines to meet. He doesn’t need any distractions—and Emery is the biggest distraction of all. Emery only wants two things: 1. To play hockey. 2. His best friend, Felix. He’s ready to risk it all for a shot at being together. While he should be concentrating on playing his best hockey so his team will grant him a contract extension, there’s no reason he can’t multitask. With their careers at a crossroads, the timing for romance couldn’t be worse—but when Felix is forced to move in with Emery, will Emery finally convince him to take a chance at becoming the stars of their own game?

Word Count: Click here to reveal63000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In the covert world of espionage, trust is a precious commodity with deadly consequences. Leading the Infiltration Tactical Unit, I’ve always relied on my instincts, careful planning, and my team. Now, hunted by the very agency I once served, I’m reluctantly forging an alliance with Ethan Wilder, a bear shifter whose gruff exterior belies a sharp intellect and unwavering loyalty. No matter where I turn, Wilder is there—infuriatingly competent, irresistibly attractive. Despite my reservations, I can’t ignore the undeniable connection between us. Nor the fact that we’re trapped in a cabin with just one bed. With the SICB tightening its grip, Ethan becomes not just an asset, but integral to helping me keep everything from falling apart; he’s also possibly our only hope of bringing down Hornell, our elusive nemesis. As our mission escalates, Ethan’s steadfast support stops me from imploding as the secrets of my past start to unravel, threatening everything I've fought to protect. Amidst looming danger, with my team beside me and Ethan at my back, I must confront the shadows before they consume us all. “Stronger Than Fate,” the fourth instalment of the Fangs & Felons series, delivers heart-pounding action, unexpected alliances, and a romance that defies the odds in a world where danger lurks at every turn. Trigger Warnings: scenes of torture, mention of past emotional abuse, discussion of mental illness

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: Normandy, March 1196 King Richard has their loyalty. The French would have their lives. And John, the king’s brother, will never forget how they betrayed him. The kidnapping of the king’s former sister-in-law sets off a chain of events that entangle the knights Henry de Grey and Stephan l’Aigle in politics and intrigue, treason . . . and murder. What begins as escort duty for the knights becomes a chase through the Norman countryside on the trail of her son, the young duke Arthur. Assassins want him—and the knights—dead. If assassins’ blades don’t kill them, King Richard’s war to recover his continental domains from France just might. Former enemies, like the king’s brother, are now allies. Can they be trusted? Warriors. Heroes. Traitors. Spies . . . Lovers.  Henry and Stephan will risk their honor and the trust of the king to protect Duke Arthur. They will fight treachery and brave bloody battles, see war in all its horror, and fight their fears of losing each other, all the while keeping their forbidden love secret. With Swords of the King, Charlene Newcomb follows up her award-winning novel For King and Country (Battle Scars II) amidst the turbulent final years of the reign of Richard I of England, the Lionheart. This epic adventure furthers an original Robin Hood origins story and will captivate fans of historical fiction and anyone who likes a little romance—forbidden romance—with their history.

Word Count: Click here to reveal98000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A werewolf pack reels from the loss of five members, including the Alpha and Beta, at the teeth and claws of Canadian werewolves. Summoned by a frantic call from a young werewolf who survived the massacre, Anax Tobias Rogan, the highest-ranked wolf in the United States, heads to North Dakota to stabilize the pack. But the trip takes a toll on Tobias’s relationship with his mate, vegan werewolf Kyle Slidell. Fate put them together, but Kyle has chosen to part. A request from the Canadian Anax, Silas Creighton, gives Tobias an opportunity to rebuild things with Kyle: A road trip to Nova Scotia. As eager as Tobias to restore their relationship, Kyle agrees. With an international conflict to resolve, a traumatized young werewolf in tow, and multiple threats to his life, Tobias struggles to make time for his mate. And when unexpected enemies invade Silas’s island stronghold, Tobias and Kyle’s relationship isn’t the only thing that might come to an end. This book includes discussions of past sexual assault and physical child abuse, homophobia including a French Canadian homophobic slur, a child character living with cancer, and depictions of grief and mourning.

Word Count: Click here to reveal79204 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: All werewolf Tobias Rogan ever wanted was to live a quiet life with his destined mate, vegan werewolf Kyle Slidell, in the smallest pack in the United States. The pack Tobias once ruled as its Alpha. He never wanted to be a leader, but fate keeps throwing him into the role, first as Alpha and now as Arkhon, the leader of the Northeast Region’s werewolves. And he isn’t done. The Anax, ruler of all werewolves in the United States, is threatening the very existence of their world and must be removed from the rank. Only Tobias is strong enough to challenge and defeat him. But the Anax knows Tobias’s intentions and co-opts one of Tobias’s employees, a human man who threatens Tobias with silver bullets. To save Tobias’s life, Kyle kills the man, a violation of shifter law. And when Tobias and Kyle travel to California for the annual gathering of all werewolf alphas and regional leaders in the country, the Anax’s men take Kyle into custody. Tobias has allies in his bid to defeat the Anax–but the Anax has Kyle’s life in his hands. With the fate of the country’s werewolves at stake, Tobias must choose: Save the world, or save his mate. This book was originally published in 2014. This version has been revised, re-edited, and expanded from the original. It contains on-page violence between humans and between werewolves, including the on-page death of a human; mention of gun violence; references to past abuse and sexual assault and threats of those things; and depictions of PTSD. This book was previously published in 2014. This edition has been moderately revised and re-edited and includes a newly-written ending.

Word Count: Click here to reveal115000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When life drowns you in lemons, to hell with making lemonade. I wanted to burn the whole world. But eighteen months from the day my life was torn apart, I’m tired of the anger. Tired of the nightmares. Tired of putting one foot in front of the other just trying to survive. Three months on a high country sheep station in the middle of nowhere is exactly the reboot I need. A chance to break free. To breathe again. To find a way forward. I put my entire life on hold and head south to Mackenzie Country. But falling for the captivating young station boss was never part of the plan. Holden Miller might be smart and sexy and push all my dusty buttons, but we come from two different worlds. I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m not interested in love. I’m done with all that. But Holden doesn’t care about my rules. Nestled safely in the arms of the spectacular Southern Alps, on an isolated sheep farm at the top of the world, Holden begins knitting my battered heart together one careful stitch at a time. And with every pass of the thread, every braid of the river on our doorstep, I catch a tantalising glimpse of something I’d almost given up on. Happiness, and maybe even love. If I have the courage to reach out and grab them.