contemporary

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

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

Summary: How he'd kept his cool, Ben will never know, but learning he owes the bank £5million thanks to his mother’s gambling debts means he must act fast if he doesn’t want to lose his beloved family home. To save Crofton Hall, Ben Redbourn, the 16th Earl of Crofton, is going to need all his charm, lots of hard work, and not a small amount of luck. But he can’t do it alone, Ben needs help—and he needs it now. Enter Ashley Niven, events manager extraordinaire, and best friend of Ben’s little sister. Ashley might once have been a dweeby teenager, but he’s grown up nicely and Ben needs to remember he’s the boss, and that means keeping his hands to himself. But Crofton Hall has many untold stories, and she’s hiding a secret dating back four hundred years to the 1st Earl of Crofton, Anthony Redbourn, which might just change all their lives. Benjamin Redbourn is the modern-day descendant of Anthony Redbourn, the 1st Earl of Crofton from the mm historical romance series The Crofton Chronicles. Previously published, this second edition has been re-edited for release.

Word Count: Click here to reveal23376 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Oliver Stoll’s life has gone up in smoke. Literally. Escaping an apartment fire, he’s made it out with little more than the clothes on his back and his best friend and downstairs neighbor, Mia. With few other options, he agrees to stay with David Elliston, Mia’s older brother. David was Oliver’s first crush, first kiss, first everything. That is, until the day they broke up five years before. It hadn’t been pretty. David Elliston is back in town. Offered the chance to oversee the Kellmen Group’s newest magazine acquisition, he isn’t going to let a years old heartbreak stop him. But being thrown together with Oliver is harder than expected. And the flicker of hope he’s long tried to bury becomes even more difficult to contain. Ex-lovers, best friends, and angry parents don’t make the best backdrop for rekindling a romance. But it’s the lies from the past that might just extinguish any chance they have of starting over.

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

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

Summary: Georgie Peppermint What’s an elf gotta do to get respect? When I’m called to Administration, I’m skeptical that the summons is related to any appreciation the Claus’ feel about how hard I work in the Porcelain Department as a detail painter. I believe it’s somehow in retaliation for my misunderstood relationship with Jingle Bell. Much to my surprise—and concern—I’m given a new assignment to become the Ambassador to the Mystical Convention… I’m being sent to the South Pacific to assist the Easter Bunny. What awaits me isn’t clear, but I’m determined to shine at my task and show all the nay-sayers that Georgie Peppermint is destined for greatness. Remy Beauchamp Spring. A symbol of rebirth with blooming flowers, trees, and the arrival of babies in every species. It was always my favorite time of the year, but this year it’s bittersweet. I have a lovely life that’s idyllic to everyone who sees it, but all I see when I look around is loss. For years, I’ve provided the eggs for Peter Cotton, a local import/exporter on Rapa Nui—Easter Island to outsiders—who holds a worldwide food drive every Spring to celebrate the rebirth on the planet. Sadly, I lost my partner last year, and unless I can find some help, I won’t be able to produce nearly enough eggs to help feed the masses. Enter the oddly beautiful man wearing tourist clothes and a strange little straw hat. He’s nice and hard-working, a friend of Mr. Cotton’s, and has been sent to the island to assist me. I’m not sure how he can help, but with the sweetly cynical man around, I’m a lot less lonely. People say there’s magic on Easter Island, thanks to the gods and goddesses who watch over its inhabitants, but never did I believe I’d come face-to-face with the manifestation of the mystical forces. And it all starts with the arrival of Georgie Pepper. This work of fiction is approximately 32,000 words in length and doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. It is part of the Easter series, “Elves After Dawn.”

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 revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: This year has been the worst for Braxton Parker. Losing both his mother and grandmother has taken the festive from his holiday spirit. Braxton’s best friend Callie presented him with a gift he really wants to return but she won’t allow it. Checking his pride at the door, Braxton embarks upon the journey bestowed to him, certain the outcome won’t be what Callie expects. Little did he know, fate has its hand in the mix and things will never be the same. Taylor Henderson loves small-town life, outside of the lack of eligible men there are to date, that is. Working on the family farm was never part of his dream but when the family inherited the land and cabins he spent his summers working at, things started to look up. Taylor spends his time renovating and breathing new life into the structures but still feels like something is missing. A snippet of Penny For Your Thoughts was part of the Winter Wonderland event. This story has been completed and I hope you’ll enjoy Braxton and Taylor’s Happily Ever After.

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.

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

Summary: Sometimes you need a little push to start over. Texan Jon Oliver’s need to serve comes completely naturally, it’s simply a part of who he is. But he’s been alone a long time caring for his dying mother, and now that she’s gone, he’s at loose ends. Needing a strong connection, if only for a week, he spends a chunk of his inheritance for a chance at the AirB&D. Liam Oberlin lives and works in New York City and hasn’t been anyone’s master in a very long time. He lost his lover a few years ago and doesn’t believe there’s anyone else out there who could love and serve him as completely. His week at AirB&D is a gift from an insistent friend, and although Liam is skeptical, he tries to be what Jon needs him to be. The matchmaker’s instincts are rarely off-base. But are these two men really ready for new beginnings?   

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

Summary: Jeremy M. Dunn III has the single dad thing down, so the last thing he wants to do is call his ex-husband to ask for help with their two kids. They didn’t part on good terms, and they’ve barely spoken since the divorce. But with a cast on his arm that goes up past his elbow, Jeremy has no choice. He needs a few days to figure out how to bathe their daughter, make school lunches and parent their son one-armed, and there isn’t anyone else he can ask for help. Former rodeo cowboy West Belen was already on his way back to his kids, and to Trey (“the third”, his nickname for Jeremy). He made a promise to try again, and he means to keep it, so when he sees his chance to move back into his family’s life, he grabs it like the brass ring he knows it is. He’s determined to be more than an “every other weekend” dad to his children, and he doesn’t want to keep on living with regret about how he and Trey ended. Jeremy still desires West, but he isn’t sure he can trust West to be responsible and available. West still thinks Trey is the hottest thing he’s ever seen, but he has no idea how to convince the man he’s ready to settle down. The two of them have never had trouble butting heads, but now they need to learn to work together to make a home for themselves and their kids where they both belong.

Word Count: Click here to reveal65,255 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Is there a time limit on love and forgiveness? Fifteen years ago, Manny didn’t show up to take Wes to the Shelby High School prom as he promised. Instead, Wes found Manny’s letter jacket at their meeting spot without a note or any explanation. From college to his current job in Monterey, California, Wes has carted the jacket around as a memento of his teenage love and rejection. This year he decides enough is enough. He’s attending the high school class reunion, returning Manny’s jacket, and going home free to find the real love of his life. When Manny sees Wes at the reunion tour of the new high school facilities, he’s determined not to let his teenage lover leave without them clearing the air and possibly getting back together. Through reunion activities such as a quiz bowl, meet-and-greet meals, and a formal banquet with a prom-like ball as well as outside activities like the quinceañera of Manny’s niece, Wes and Manny work through the lies and misunderstandings of the past. With so much to reconcile and forgive on both sides, will they end up together? Or go their separate ways with only memories of the past?

Word Count: Click here to reveal104,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Penn from Adelaide. That’s all I knew. We shared a single kiss over a year ago, and I can still remember every toe-curling second of it. He thought I was too young for him. I thought he was running scared. But that kiss was the first time I’d felt alive in a long time, and I’ve been chasing the feeling ever since—doing my research, a lot of research, a lot of men. Something my protective older brother isn’t too happy about. I’ve been through more than most guys my age, and I still bear the scars. My head’s not always my best friend, but I’m building a life, PTSD be damned. I can’t turn back the clock, and I’m not sure I want to. Except maybe to that moment when Penn kissed me. I mean, the odds of us ever meeting again were slim to none, right? Yeah, about that. But this time I’m ready. I’m a year older, an ocean of therapy wiser, and I know exactly what I want.   Triggers: One of the main characters in this book lives with PTSD as a result of a fire and within the story there are flashbacks and descriptions of triggering events. There are also themes of loss and grief.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal21500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: After being shuffled around Portland’s foster care system until he was six years old, Keelan was finally adopted into a family that taught him that above all else, tradition was the foundation for a good life. Once you had that, you could pursue your dreams. And he’s doing that, building a new business park with his long-time friend Layte. Peter Larkins, who grew up without a mother and a father who taught him to take whatever he wanted and then move on to the next opportunity, arrived in Portland, ready for his next project, and maybe have a little fun along the way. So when Keelan’s friend hires Peter as the project for their new venture, tensions grow. Will these two very different people butt heads? Or will they find commonality and be able to move forward, building a new foundation of love? Foundations of Love is a prequel to Walter Hopgood and Lisa Witte’s Hart’s Square series, a Portland Business Park romance series of books.

Word Count: Click here to reveal93511 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: He specializes in drinks, not feelings. With a passion shaken not stirred, can the new guy serve up romance? If love ever walked into his bar, mixologist Nicholas Valentine would send it right back out the door. Figuring casual hookups are the best he can expect, he’d rather give his time to his makeshift family of inebriated patrons. But when the delicious new bouncer catches his eye, he can’t deny the flutters of his watered-down heart. Former soldier Davis “FatBoy” Newman can’t imagine coming out. But when the snarky hunk behind the bar proves irresistible, he wonders if he should risk it all for love. And after days of subtle hints and flirty looks, the smitten security man finally secures an after-hours first kiss. Just as Nicholas thinks he might have something real, St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans and an offensive live Irish band conspire to keep them apart. And while FatBoy is head-over-heels, staying safely in the closet may cost him everything. Can their perfectly mixed connection pour them a happily-ever-after?    

Word Count: Click here to reveal71951 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Is it better to risk it all… or never know what could have been? After surviving an abusive childhood, Vulcan remade himself upon arriving in Los Angeles, California. He became a blacksmith for the paranormal community and strives to earn the respect of the vampire covens and werewolf packs that call LA home. He also prevents the pain of loss by keeping everyone at arm’s length. But he never planned on meeting a former Roman soldier by the name of Marcus Cassius Vespillo. Something sparks between them and turns into a friendship he never considered possible. He can’t deny his intense attraction to the intelligent, courteous, ancient vampire. And it scares him. Though Vulcan is wary of seeking more with Cassius, an attack leaves him at death’s door and forces him to reexamine his priorities. But Cassius has his own secret, one that promises tragedy and loss. And if that wasn’t enough, a slayer arrives in the States, one with a bloody connection to Cassius... and Vulcan himself. Second Edition with revised and expanded text.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: A F/F bi-awakening romance novella. Vicky Russo and Sharon Weiss are co-workers and best friends. When Vicky finally shows her freeloading boyfriend the door, she and Sharon start spending even more time together. Sharon tags along when Vicky starts hanging out with Vince, because he’s entertaining and she likes to watch them dance. They both date other people, with varying degrees of non-success. But they keep coming back to “it’s more fun to be with you.” And at a certain point, there’s really no reason to be with anyone else. Adult situations, themes, and language; 24000 words and a happy ending.

Word Count: Click here to reveal96278 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Detective George Donavon doesn’t plan to stay in Charleston long. Skeptical and by-the-book, he’s on the fast track to the top, and he won’t let anything derail his career. Especially not Andrew Hayes, his grumpy, awkward new partner—and not the chief’s secret order to find out how said partner solves even the most difficult cases. George and Andi can’t agree on anything except their mutual dislike, but when three dead girls turn up at a storage unit, they must put their differences aside before the suspected trafficking ring claims another victim. There is no crime without witnesses. Andi knows George suspects his always-right “hunches” point to corruption, but he doesn’t care. All that matters is catching a killer… and keeping his secret. But with leads on this sprawling conspiracy drying up, he has no choice. He just can’t let his partner find out how he’s getting the information. Andi’s on the verge of losing his life, his mind, and his career. He could take George down with him…. If the violent criminals who are always one step ahead don’t get to them first.

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.”

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 reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: To escape an arranged marriage, the king needs a fake fiancé. Stat. King Bastien’s father locked him into an ironclad betrothal contract with Lady Helena Rey when the two of them were only seven years old. Bas and Helena have never been friends—and not only because she marked their first meeting by dropping a frog down his shirt. He’s been unsuccessfully petitioning Parliament to annul the damn contract ever since he took the throne nine years ago. But with the deadline for officially confirming the engagement rapidly approaching, Bas is getting desperate. Enter commoner Nico Pereira, manager of the Royal Crest Vineyards, who nurses a secret crush on the king. He’s at the New Palace to unveil a  wine that’s the first joint venture between North and South Abarra. No problem, right? Except Nico has a secret: He has a superpower. Not a very strong superpower, but because powers are a privilege reserved for Royals, it still puts him at risk for arrest and prosecution. Nico can usually mask his limited foresight gift under the guise of being an incredibly efficient administrator. But when King Bastien asks him to be his fake fiancé? Well. Nico never saw that coming. Nothing if not loyal, Nico accepts the faux-posal, although close proximity to Bastien makes him more than a little… uncomfortable, and the increased scrutiny of government officials threatens to expose his illegal ability. Good thing this engagement is temporary, because being the king’s ex will be a lot less onerous than prison or exile. Or, if the attacks from a shadowy conspiracy continue, with being dead. King’s Ex is a 52,000-word M/M superhero rom-com featuring a fake engagement, class differences, improbably pristine clothing, dueling secrets, a guaranteed HEA, and a kitten.

Word Count: Click here to reveal18,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: James Lawrey is a CEO with plenty of cred in corporate circles and plenty of cash to go with it. Privately, though, he’s learned the hard way that it might be impossible to find the one thing he can’t buy--a young man to look after who wants and needs a real Daddy, not just a sugar daddy.  Textile artist Rye Henry’s last relationship went up in flames when his ex told him it was time to grow up. Rye’s got a lucrative business of his own, so he needs a lover who isn’t going to try to change him, a Daddy who wants his true devotion. Both men drop a pretty penny to experience a few days at the AirB&D, a swanky vacation home in Maine, for a fantasy that’s exactly what they’re looking for even if it only lasts one weekend. But can they get more than their money’s worth? Of course. Just leave it to the matchmaker.

Word Count: Click here to reveal68,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ryan was shocked when he saw the man who had rescued him from a psychotic co-worker three months ago, a man Ryan had been having very sexy dreams about ever since, standing on the same yacht as he was. Learning the man’s name was Jansen Branwyth should have rung a few bells, but Ryan was never one to keep up with the rich and powerful. Now this big, gorgeous man seemed to be in hot pursuit, relentlessly and expertly, backing the confused Ryan against a hard wall. Deliciously turned on by the man’s erotically suggestive flirting, Ryan finds himself now in competition with his former, incredibly beautiful girlfriend, vying for Jansen’s attention. As the heat ramps up, so does Ryan’s self-doubt, forcing Jansen into making it perfectly clear who he intends on taking with him off the boat, even if he must chase down, subdue and throw that certain someone over his shoulder to do it.