contemporary

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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 reveal64000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When a gorgeous stranger wanders into his life one summer night he knows he's in trouble; he's going to break all his rules and probably his heart. Duff Cleveland knows better than to open himself to love, that’s how you get hurt. Jacob De Rossi is a family guy; he’s got the house and the picket fence he's just missing the man. Something about Jacob has Duff wanting more, but how many just one more time’s can a dedicated hookup artist justify? He can hardly handle the life he’s living, having an actual boyfriend is impossible. Jacob’s not letting Duff go easily. It’s obvious, to him at least, that Duff needs someone in his corner, and he is the man for the job. Will Duff admit his heart is safe in Jacob's hands, or turn his back on the one thing in his life that makes sense? The Heart Heist is a first-person, dual POV, following Duff Cleveland and Jacob De Rossi as Jacob woos Duff's reluctant heart. No cliffhanger, HEA guaranteed. Heat level, 4+. Can be read as a standalone but you may enjoy it even more if you read Feinted Heart first.

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 reveal65000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A gorgeous stranger wanders into his life one summer night and Jacob knows he's in trouble; he's going to break all his rules and probably his heart. Duff Cleveland knows better than to open himself to love, that’s how you get hurt. Jacob De Rossi is a family guy; he’s got the house and the picket fence he's just missing the man. Something about Jacob has Duff wanting more, but how many just one more time’s can a dedicated hookup artist justify? He can hardly handle the life he’s living, having an actual boyfriend is impossible isn't it? Jacob’s not letting Duff go easily. It’s obvious, to him at least, that Duff needs someone in his corner, and he is the man for the job. Will Duff admit his heart is safe in Jacob's hands, or turn his back on the one thing in his life that makes sense? tragic past, high heat, found family, hurt to comfort, reluctant lover, family is everything, the wooing is the hardest part, angsty, when grandparents interfere... The Heart Heist is a first-person, dual POV, following Duff Cleveland and Jacob De Rossi as Jacob woos Duff's reluctant heart. No cliffhanger, HEA guaranteed. Heat level, 4+. Can be read as a standalone but you may enjoy it even more if you read Feinted Heart first.

Word Count: Click here to reveal75000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: While young doctor Adam Morrow resigns himself to an uninformed existence, world-weary assassin Ian Abbott struggles with a life he never asked for. When the two strangers meet by chance, the attraction is immediate. And deadly, as Adam walks in on Ian in the middle of a hit. The situation spirals out of control once Ian discovers he and Adam share a connection far more profound than either imagined. Shocked by the discovery, Ian makes the hasty decision to kidnap him. Overnight Adam is torn from his promising career and a family who believes him dead. Things go from bad to worse when he finds himself reunited with a mother he never knew who is now head of a covert and shadowy group of killers for hire. Forced into joining their ranks, with Ian as his reluctant trainer and handler, Adam is given a series of impossible tasks to complete. To survive, he must fight with everything he has to keep his life, his sanity, and his very soul from being swept up in a violent and chaotic world even as he battles his unwanted and complicated feelings for Ian. For his part, Ian, a man with dark secrets of his own, has a past he isn't ready to share with Adam even as the other man worms into his life in more ways than one. The two grow closer and lines blur -- between good and evil, friend or foe, enemy or lover. But something, or someone, plots against them, determined to do everything in their power to keep them apart. Even if it means destroying them both. Trigger Warning: This story contains a brief scene of sexual assault.

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: Click here to reveal14500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Good and evil walk hand in hand. Hot, sexy times and instalove in mysterious places. Angels and demons love faster and harder for as long as they can because they know—a being more powerful can change their lives in the blink of an eye. Raziel Eden swiftly learns to blend in with humans and demons after being cast from Heaven by a stronger archangel who, for all his holiness, should reside in Hell. Raz’s club, MystEden, is a den of iniquity frequented by beings from both realms. Earth has become his private playground and he delights in tasting its many fruits though Raziel would trade it all to travel heavenward. Then a monster from Hell walks into his club; a satanic minion who captivates Raz with beauty and innocence. Surge Oberon possesses knowledge of many enigmas but he yearns to sit at Lucifer’s right hand wielding identical powers of an angelic counterpart, archangel Raziel, Heaven’s excommunicated keeper of secrets. He must convince Raziel to trade one confidence, a tale Surge’s master plans using to regain his throne in Heaven. What part will Surge play in Hell’s hierarchy should Satan succeed? Two beings seeking a path home—only one can win their battle of wits. Contains religious themes some will find offensive. #drama #explicit #gay #HEA #instalove #lgbtq #paranormal #religerotica #shortstory #travel

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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 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 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.

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

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

Summary: He'd rather fight enemy wolves and rogue humans than face his own heart. When Aaron took down a violent, power-crazed wolf and inherited half a pack, he knew being Alpha wasn't going to be easy. A week later, he's finding out what an understatement that was. Other werewolves are calling for the extermination of his pack's gay wolf, or for Aaron's own death, and the risk of exposure to humans is growing. Aaron can't afford to let his long-suppressed sexuality escape his rigid control. When one of his younger wolves is in trouble, it's simply Aaron's job as Alpha to help and protect him. But keeping a cool distance from a young man who appeals to all his senses could be Aaron's toughest challenge. (This is a rerelease of the 2012 original with light editing. Content warning for substance abuse, some violence.)

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

Summary: A love like a force of nature. A second chance. Their last chance. Ivy: I was drawn to Caroline from the day we met, but we overwhelmed each other’s lives. Caroline consumed me. Her beauty, her vivacious light, her deep red hair, her… everything. I wasn’t ready to deal with the intensity of our relationship and my own feelings for her, so I forced myself to walk away. I regretted it and I still do. Without her, it was as though my world was drained of colour and life. I’ll always regret leaving her and losing the love we shared. I’ll always miss her whirlwind presence in my life. Unless I get her back, and convince her to take a chance on me one last time. Caroline: I’m not good at relationships. They don’t work out; not for me. My first and only true love left me. Ivy. My other relationships since then have been mere imitations of what I had with her. Reminders that she’s still inside me, making me want her. Ten years have passed. Easy years? No. Healthy years? No. But now I’m a better me. A healthier me. I lost myself in love once, and I can’t do that again. I have a new life. I have new balance. And now… I have her. Ivy’s back in my life. Just like that; delivered on a sunbeam. I mustn’t lose myself again. Not like before, but I'll take a chance on love again if it's for Ivy.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal68000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Gay, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: Casey Preston is the guy with the plan. The list-maker. The one who micromanages his own life. Spontaneously offering to be his best friend’s fake boyfriend to get Ethan’s annoying team captain off his back? That’s not thinking things through. It’s not even smart given Casey’s been fighting his feelings for Ethan for years. Ethan Rain just wants to play hockey and get his college degree. Adding a fake boyfriend to the mix? He doesn’t need that complication. If Casey were his real boyfriend, though? If he got to keep Casey forever? Now we’re talking. But what if Casey doesn’t want to be kept?

Word Count: Click here to reveal72855 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: What’s a straight guy to do when he falls for his new friend? Paramedic Connor Devlin is a stressed-out tower of a man. Hoping knitting will help him unwind, he visits a local craft shop, where he’s overwhelmed by the yarn selection but more so by his feelings for shop owner Judah. Judah Bissel is tired of falling for unavailable men. He can’t help his crush on Connor, though, or wanting to get closer to the big, gentle bear. And that just might spell trouble because pining for straight guys is not Judah’s style. As a blizzard pummels the city, the men hunker down together to wait out the storm. When the spark between them ignites, will the revelation that Connor feels more than friendship for Judah bring them together or tear them apart? Hooked On You is a 72.8K friends-to-lovers MM novel. It features a stressed-out paramedic who’s figuring out he’s not quite straight, a yarn shop owner with a bad habit of falling for unavailable guys, lots of knitting and snowdrifts, and a sweet, happy-sigh HEA.