Books Tagged With where - region - midwest

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

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

Summary: Micah is a small-town mechanic with a big-time dream. He’s found his soulmate in high school social studies teacher Coleman Pierce, but while Micah’s out and proud of it, Coleman’s closet door is closed, locked, and welded shut. Stolen nights are all they’ll ever have, unless Micah can find some way to convince Cole that coming out won’t be the end of his dreams. Cole moved to Blueridge Junction to escape his past. He planned to make himself a new life, far from home and the betrayal he’d suffered there. He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes again, but he didn’t count on meeting Micah, or the intensity of the feelings the man arouses in him. But Micah is out and Cole… isn’t. And while Micah definitely revs his engines, Cole isn’t going to risk his job or his newly minted future on a relationship that might not work out. When outside forces bear upon the couple, Cole is faced with a decision. Will he keep his secret and risk losing everything, including the man he loves? Or will he stand with Micah and fight for their future? *Fight For It is a male/male romance meant for ages 18+ due to language, themes, and adult scenes.*

Word Count: Click here to reveal85000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: At the annual Global Lijun Alliance conference in Tokyo, Tally Bastille makes the first impulsive decision of his life. Others perceive his uktena-the enormous legendary serpent that's his dual-spirit-as a threat, which makes him all too aware that he frightens fellow lijun. But an encounter with a passionate, obviously-not-straight otter lijun one evening convinces Tally that he's found his Em'halafi, his destined match. Tally is determined to barrel through all obstacles to make the match happen, including the otter's conservative, traditional family. Trained as a Satislit—a bride son—Haru Tanaka chafes at the strict boundaries set around their life. They rebel against their clan's constant attempts to force an arranged match and wish desperately for someone who will love them. At the conference, Haru is horrified to learn their family has accepted an offer for them, one too lucrative for the clan to refuse. Not only has the Urusar sold Haru to a stranger, but the lijun is also a giant snake and one who believes in the tired old superstitions regarding Em'halafi. Threatened with banishment if they refuse, Haru has no choice but to marry the wealthy American serpent. Back in Tally's home in Wisconsin, Haru and Tally must navigate both the widening gulf between them as they realize how much they've misunderstood about each other and the tricky politics of the lijun clan Tally leads. Murder, intrigue, and increasing hostility threaten to tear apart the little town of Wadiswan and the arranged marriage they've barely managed to begin.

Word Count: Click here to reveal20000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

• releasing in a new edition in 2021

Word Count: Click here to reveal32793 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ten days to finally make the leap from friends to lovers…. Craig and Mitchell have been friends for years, but each of them reached a point where that camaraderie became… more. Mitchell’s kept his feelings close to his chest. So has Craig, but now that they’ve graduated from UMKC, he knows it’s his last chance to show Mitchell they’re meant to be before their careers take them to opposite sides of the country. He insists they can’t leave Missouri behind without one last adventure. Mitchell agrees to a road trip to visit all the touristy spots and say goodbye to their home state. As they spend their days and nights together, buried feelings rise to the surface and hope blossoms. When their journey ends with a dance beneath the Branson stars, will they find love and a future together at the end of the road?

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Luis has two problems. The depression monster is breathing down his neck and he’s in love with his boss, who thinks their age-gap and employer/employee status is a deal-breaker. Luis Flynn has had a thing for Royce Hessing since the day he started work when he was still in high school but Royce doesn’t see him as anything other than an employee, and an annoying one at that. It’s hopeless to think they could be anything more. And then Royce kisses him. It should make Luis happy, but Luis finds that emotion hard to grasp. In fact, he’s finding it difficult to get through a day so his attraction to his boss, along with everything else in his life, takes a backseat.

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 reveal107000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Murder, trauma, and raising children - who said love was easy? Mac and Tony thought the hard part was over. They’re together openly as a couple, sharing a home and building a life with their two kids. It’s what they dreamed of. But daughter Anna struggles with the changes, Ben is haunted by old secrets, Mac’s job in Homicide still demands too much of his time, and Tony is caught in the middle. It’ll take everything these men can give to create a viable balance between home and work. Especially when life refuses to give them a break. (This suspenseful mystery-romance is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2012 original.)

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Peter is excited to start his freshman year of college at Wabash, an all-male college in Indiana. He meets Austin almost immediately, even before classes have started. When he gets asked to join a fraternity, he wonders if he can really handle all that is to come. Peter experiences the highs of performing, the lows of homophobia and the first pings of love; and it's only his freshman year.

Word Count: Click here to reveal53000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A hot body will only take him so far... Theo Cooper just wants to find his place in life, but despite his outer veneer of confidence, he’s filled with doubts about whether he can truly find happiness. A homophobic father and an ex-fiancé who likes to sleep around have shaken his faith in himself. Walking in on his ex in bed with Theo’s replacement is the last straw, and now Theo is ready to do whatever it will take to scrape together the cash for a new place to live. Self-doubt keeps holding him back... Elliot James is too shy, too smart, and too socially awkward to do anything about his desire to meet a man. So far, his best friend, wealthy socialite Brianna LaFontaine, is the only person he’s had the courage to come out to. Despite her best efforts to push him out of his comfort zone—which is behind a computer screen—he has successfully avoided any chance of finding love. When a mutual friend pushes them together... Brianna cares about her friends, and when Theo won’t take the money she offers to get him out of his financial mess, she comes up with a simple proposition: help shy Elliot break out of his nervous shell to experience one night of passion, and Theo can name his price. It’s the answer to Theo’s money problems and an easy way for some fast cash. But one night brings both men more than they expect, and leads both to wonder... Is it possible to fall in love after Just One Night? Just One Night is a steamy gay romance with a happily-ever-after ending and no cliffhangers.

Word Count: Click here to reveal10,285 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

I’ve always heard you can never go home again, so that was my plan. 

Fast forward fourteen years, and here I am in this church pew, at this funeral, forced to face what I selfishly abandoned when I was young and stupid. I should run like the coward I am, instead of pretending that seeing my best friends after all this time doesn’t remind me of the deepest pain I’ve ever endured.

But Henry is falling apart. He needs me now. I can receive absolution by being the friend I should’ve been back then. And I’ll forget the kiss that crushed my heart…

Trigger warning: Off-page Suicide.

Word Count: Click here to reveal117,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Mac is afraid he won't recover enough to go back to being a cop; Tony's afraid that he will. Three months after being injured, Detective Jared MacLean is healing, but he's afraid it may not be enough to go back on the job. He won't give up, though. Being a cop is written deep in Mac’s bones, and he'll do whatever it takes to carry his badge again. Tony used to wish he could have Mac safely home, but watching his strong husband battle disabilities is far from Tony's dream come true. When Mac is asked to consult on a case involving one of Tony's students, both men will have to face old demons and new fears to find a way to move forward together. (This is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2013 original, bringing Mac and Tony to their HEA.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal91000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

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

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

Summary: Finding love in the ashes was easy. Building a life together? Not so much. After spending the first part of his life chasing pretty girls, love has finally come to Ryan in the form of John, a tall, lanky, red-headed landscape architect with wide shoulders and a five-o’clock shadow. For the first time in Ryan's life, love feels easy. Hell, he even ran into a burning building for John and his son, and he’d do it again if he had to. But telling his father and brothers and classmates “I’m gay. I’ve met a man”? That’s going to take nerve of a different kind. For John, loving Ryan is as natural as breathing. Now if only the rest of his life would fall into place. Dealing with his teen son is complicated enough, but with his ex-wife causing trouble and his daughter wanting to move in, John’s house— and his relationship with Ryan— threaten to split at the seams. Is one month without a new surprise knocking him upside the heart really too much to ask? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be Yes. (This is a re-release of the 2015 Samhain novel, with only minor editing.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal15300 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When Jack ended up at college in a small town in the middle of the Iowa cornfields, September 1981, he figured it would at least be better than being home. He had no idea how his life would change, in that time and place. Sean was a townie, on the opposite side of the town-and-gown divide, but attraction knows no boundaries. And when personal tragedy brought them together, it was the beginning of something extraordinary. 15,300 words. This story was written for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group Hot Summer Days event. It is a free download.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal54094 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rafael Patino has a great life in Rain Valley. He’s a teacher at the high school, has a great group of friends, and enjoys the occasional baseball game. Other than the sporadic call from his drunken mother, he’s pretty content. He’s also been in love with his best friend Dustin for nearly a decade. Years of keeping those feelings under control are put to the test when they begin a summer project together. Dustin Vance builds furniture for a living, has just earned his pilot’s license, and has an amazing best friend. When he buys a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk, he asks Rafael to help restore it, then travel with him to Wisconsin for the largest aviation convention in the world. As they spend their days working on the plane, they begin to spend their nights together. Will they find love in the clouds, or will they stall out before they even take off?

Word Count: Click here to reveal5,782 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: All he wanted to do was retrieve his newspaper, but Raymond is panic-stricken when a rat dashes through his open apartment door. No worries, though. Pandy is on the job! Except Kevin doesn’t want Raymond’s cat to eat his beloved pet…mouse. Can Kevin rescue Corky before Pandy gets to her? Will Raymond’s upturned box of…um… personal toys and videos drive Kevin away, or will the pile of filigree undies Corky has burrowed into turn Kevin on? Keywords: pets, cats, mouse, mice, rats, dildos, sexy underwear, meet-cute, short story

Word Count: Click here to reveal80000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What's one more deadline? Ulysses Lenkov is on the verge of finishing his PhD when his ex-girlfriend shows up with a problem. It's been six months since the murder of her husband, Hugh, and Livia is plagued by strange noises in the night, poor sleep, and a magic book that may be cursed. The more Ulysses delves into the events that led her back to Madison, the more concerned he becomes. Ulysses's boyfriend Sam Sterling, jealous and unhappy about Livia's return, suspects that she may not be telling them the whole truth. In the meantime, he's starting to worry that he may not have left Dionysus as far behind as he thought—with odd effects for him and Ulysses. When Ulysses's academic advisor suggests their relationship is a problem, magically speaking, he's suddenly forced to make decisions he never wanted to face: break up with Ulysses to keep him safe, or stay together despite the risks. As Ulysses's defense bears down on them, the questions start to stack up. What really happened to Hugh? Does his death tie in to secrets from deep in Sam's family's past? And will Ulysses be able to figure it all out before he winds up a victim?

Word Count: Click here to reveal36000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Running from an ex-lover stalker drives him straight into the arms of the cowboy version of Mr. Charming. For three years, Dakota Weaver has done nothing but run from a man that wants to hurt him. He changes his name and takes a job as far away from the last place he lived as he could get. The Heaths are great people and he loves his job. It reminds him of the home he left behind. Dakota has looked over his shoulder for far too long, but he’s used to it. What he isn’t used to is charming cowboys. When he meets Jackson Bartlett and the sparks fly, he’s lost. He can run from his feelings or face them head on. Dakota has become very good at running.

Word Count: Click here to reveal47000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ted MacTaggart's overbearing father is still trying to control his life, even from the grave. His will insists that, in order to inherit the family company, MAC Superior, Ted must be married by his twenty-fifth birthday -- and the marriage has to be "real." As in the board of MAC has to sign off on it.   Ted could fight the will, but then the handsome, artistic Ryan Costa, an old friend from school days walks back into his life, offering to be his groom-of-convenience. Ted draws up the contracts and Ryan, who has family medical bill problems, agrees gladly to the terms. Ted, emotionally walled off and afraid of his attraction to Ryan, also suggests they should keep their relationship strictly professional. Caring for people has always proven a weakness for him. Now isn't the time to start.   It's not long before Ryan's charm breaks through Ted's walls, but Ted isn't his own worst enemy in this case. Other forces are vying for MAC Superior, and even when their relationship is becoming the real deal, its shaky foundations land Ryan and Ted in trouble.

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 the hardest decisions I’ve ever made is joining the Army right out of high school. The second—knowing when it’s time to leave. There’s got to be something more to life than living a lie, and its high time I rid myself of the burden once and for all. I’ve hidden my true self from my family—birth and Army—and it’s made me hard hearted. I need to live for me and ignore people’s ideas of who I should be. Without a hint of what to do next, I say goodbye to my old life and head home to Missouri. How to start that new life, though, I’m not sure. The one goal I plan to pursue is finding someone to fill my days and nights because I don’t want to be lonely anymore. Reed Bayless My job as a special education teacher in Missouri is incredibly fulfilling. The kids are amazing, and their parents are supportive. The only hitch in my life plan is that I haven’t found the right guy to settle down with. It hasn’t escaped my notice that I’m too old to hop from bed to bed. I want a stable relationship with one man, and I refuse to settle for anything less. Unexpectedly, at the Christmas Eve service at my local Lutheran church, I find myself off-balance by a gorgeous man. I see a sadness about him that makes me want to hold him in my arms until his hurts are healed, but I doubt that’s anywhere on the Army ranger’s radar. Between Ranger Hank, and his dog, Cosmo, I want things I imagine to be impossible. Or are 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.”