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Overdue Changes

An M/M Changes Hockey Novella

by Kaje Harper

Logan

A year ago, I made a choice. A bad choice. Out of the blue, I got a shot at moving up from the ECHL to the AHL, probably my last shot at a higher hockey league at age 33. Except at the same moment, my boyfriend came out publicly. I was supposed to be at his side, but professional hockey still wasn't welcoming to gay men, despite a couple of out players. I decided I had to pick between the career I'd been working for all my life, and my boyfriend. I didn't choose Miles. Now, a year later, I know what a fool I was, but Miles is engaged to a woman and there's no way back for us.

Miles

I don't regret coming out. I can't, given how many kids, and adults too, have contacted me to say what it meant to them to have even a retired pro-football player stand up as a gay man. I wish I'd come out earlier, when I was active in the NFL and could've been more of a role model, but I'm not sorry I did it now. My only regret is that somehow, in the stresses of that moment, I lost the man I loved. Logan froze me out, I was angry, and… somehow, we said things we couldn't take back. Now I'm living my out gay life, and that's important, but I miss Logan. Taking care of my friend Rachel's fiancée, acting as her beard till she can get away from her father, makes me feel useful, but I can't help wishing it'd been Logan at my side in those society photographs.

This book is on:
  • 1 To Be Read list
Published:
Publisher: Independently Published
Editors:
Debbie McGowan

Cover Artists:
Jo Clement

Genres:
Contemporary, Sports

Tags:
format - novel 40-100K, what - concept - family conflict, what - concept - second chance, what - topic - pro-hockey, who - occupation - athlete, who - occupation - teacher

Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 3
Romantic Content: 4
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 26-35
Protagonist 2 Age: 36-45
Tropes: Bad Breakup, Coming Out / Closeted, Coming Out Later in Life, Second Chances
Word Count: 42000
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters

About the Author

I get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname.

I live in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kindly, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home now.

I’ve been writing for far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty years*), mostly for my own entertainment. I mainly publish M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories released under the pen name Kira Harp.

My husband finally convinced me that after all that time writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing the four novels and three freebie short stories in the series. I’ve been delighted by the reception Mac and Tony have received.

I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my Books page.
I also have  an author page on Goodreads where I do a lot of book reviews. You can find me to chat there– I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the  Goodreads YA LGBT Books group there. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far. Or find me on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper