Books Edited By Lourenza Adlem

Word Count: Click here to reveal11200 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: At going-on-fifty, patent filing specialist Santo is the recently divorced single dad to a sixteen-year-old with Broadway ambitions. He’s thrilled to learn his new co-worker Martin is close to his age, also gay, and also a single dad. At the very least, they might turn into good work friends. Before many weeks pass, Santo and Martin are much more than work friends. Their teenagers, who go to the same high school, quickly bond. Having school and workplace in common takes a lot of the juggling out of trying to date in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Santo’s support helps Martin cope as an adoptive father to a niece still grieving her parents. He’s creating a new version of himself for this role. Will his turbulent entry into parenthood open a door to a future full of love?

Word Count: Click here to reveal70,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Colin Hunt, a vivacious and outspoken art student, is a comic-reading, anime-loving, all-around geek. What he lacks in size, he most definitely makes up for in personality. But things have been tough for him lately. A heavy workload. A showcase to prepare for his final. A sick mother to take care of. Ever the optimist, he's more interested in finding someone to have some fun with rather than finding anyone serious. For Dexter Erikson, life has been difficult ever since an accident left him in foster care and cost him part of his arm. After discovering music therapy, he found an outlet for his pain and the perfect way to express himself. Now, sporting tattoos and piercings, Dexter is the lead singer of a pretty kick-ass punk rock band and owns the stage like it's nobody's business. He’s also goofy and dorky, shy and bashful, with a bad habit of falling in love yet a horrible fear of commitment. So what happens when vivacious geek meets shy punk rocker? The first answer is a lot of sex. The second answer might bring both Colin and Dexter to places they never dreamed possible.

Word Count: Click here to reveal16277 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sequel to Season of Joy By the beginning of 1944, Walter Webb and Stanley Gardner have been together for twenty years. They live quietly above the grocer’s shop on Cheltenham’s Lower High Street, outwardly two middle-aged bachelors sharing a home. Cheltenham might have escaped the worst of the bombing raids, but the privations and dangers of the second war have put a strain on the whole community. This includes ongoing concern about loved ones on active duty. Stanley’s beloved nephew, Jack, is serving in Italy, while engaged in the fiercely fought Battle for Rome. Walter worries about the strain on Stanley’s health, never robust after the Great War, as they both deal with family issues and direct threats from the enemy. As St. Valentine’s Day approaches, can Walter and Stanley find solace in the hope of a peaceful shared future after the war?

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 reveal19,936 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Wyatt Calder is trapped -- in a rundown neighborhood, in a dead-end job, by the endless string of trouble his brother drags to their door -- and it seems he’s destined to slowly fade away within the aging walls of Picket House, longing for his neighbor. That is, until his upstairs neighbor Abel Walters dies on the staircase just outside Wyatt’s door. Saalik has spent most of his existence asleep and waiting for the next person to discover his bottle and claim their wishes. And the last four years playing prized possession to Abel Walters and spying on the downstairs neighbors. But he has a plan. And, like every plan worth planning, it has taken patience. But if life as a Jinn has taught Saalik nothing else, it’s taught him that. When a break-in sends Wyatt out his second-story bedroom window and into his dead upstairs neighbor’s apartment, he finds more than a place to hide. He discovers a magical solution to all his troubles. Or does he? Because really, when is life ever that simple?

Word Count: Click here to reveal35000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Squirrels do not belong in cages. Amir Kaplan works as a chef in a werewolf bar, which is why he’s so surprised when his boss sends him to a food expo for humans. He doesn’t like being around people, which his boss knows, and they don’t want human customers, so why is he there? The moment he spots a blue squirrel in a cage, he forgets all about the why, though. Shun Hartman is having a bad day, has had several bad days in a row. He and his squirrel cousin were running in squirrel form when Shun was captured by werewolves. They put him in a cage and dyed his fur blue, and now he’s at some sort of food fair. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there is this guy trying to steal him. Hadn’t the guy been another wolf shifter, he might have been fine with it, but how is he to know which is the better monster? Amir refuses to leave the expo without the squirrel. He doesn’t care what conflicts will follow, no squirrel should ever be put in a cage. Shun should run away the moment Amir frees him from the cage, right? No sane squirrel waits around until their werewolf rescuer gets hungry, but why does his heart ache as soon as he’s apart from Amir?

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

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

Summary: Can you forgive being rejected by your mate? For as long as Jyran Pechman can remember, he's dreamed about finding his soulmate. As a child, he lost his family, and he's been moving around ever since. He hates it, and he wants nothing more than to have a home. A mate. A place to belong. Gideon Everett might have dreamed about the day he'd find his mate, but his mate was never an unorganized, nut-hoarding squirrel shifter in those dreams. Wolves eat squirrels, so when Jyran walks into Gideon's bar, he throws him out and tells him he wants nothing to do with him. He has a reputation to think about, and he will not be known as the wolf who mated a squirrel. Being rejected hurts more than Jyran ever imagined, and he swears never to set foot in Gideon's bar again. After the initial shock, Gideon is almost sure he made the right decision. Almost. What if he made the wrong decision? Now when he knows his mate is out there, can he live on as if they've never met, or does he have to ... ugh ... apologize?

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The smartest thing a squirrel can do is avoid werewolves, not get mated to one. All Dahy Doocey wants is an unlimited supply of nuts and a safe place to stay. As a squirrel shifter, he always has to hide and watch out for stupid wolves and other predators. Frozen and starving, he reaches out to a friend, not knowing she recently mated a shifter. She agrees to hide him anyway, but now he’s neck-deep in wolves. Not ideal. Konrad Broody is the alpha of a werewolf pack. When he agreed to hide a friend of the newest pack member, he assumed it was a human woman, not a squirrel. And he certainly didn’t believe Dahy would turn out to be his mate. The problem is squirrels often end up dead when spending time around wolves. Konrad will fight anyone who dares go near Dahy, but when Dahy goes missing, there is no one he can fight. Dahy should’ve known hanging around wolves would get him in trouble. How will he be able to escape the idiots keeping him prisoner before they eat him? Stupid wolves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal35000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Every squirrel worth his name knows when it’s time to run. Raaz Olen has been on the run for a year, ever since a wolf pack took out everyone in his family but him. When the stupid wolves almost have him cornered, a stranger helps him and sends him to the grumpiest vampire in the history of grumpy vampires, who offers him a job in his thrift shop. Farris Randal has given up on finding his mate. He’s a big wolf shifter people cross the street to avoid. It’s a lonely life, but at least he can escape into his books. One day, when he’s browsing the local thrift shop, he scents his mate. But before he has a chance to reach him, he is wrestled to the ground by a vampire, and his mate runs away. There is no way Raaz can ever be mated to a wolf. The pack will kill him. He has to hide. Farris doesn’t care what species his mate is, finding him is a miracle he won’t walk away from. When wolves from another pack descend on the town, Farris fears for Raaz's safety, but how can he keep Raaz safe when he is hiding from him?

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

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

Summary: In a world where all supernatural beings are either dominant or submissive, Shiro Amano doesn’t have many choices. As a submissive, any dominant walking into his bakery can order him around. He hates it. All he wants is to live his life in peace and bake pastries he can spike with emotions far away from obnoxious alphas. Pitch Rhys wants a mate, but he won’t settle for anything but a true mate. As a powerful wolf shifter, he has subs flocking around him, but his true mate is hiding in the kitchen of a bakery and refuses to see him. He can order him to, of course, but since he threatened Pitch with a knife when he allowed his power to leak, he doesn’t think it’s the way to go. Instead, he’s settling to see how many pastries and cups of coffee he can consume in a day. Two years ago, Shiro escaped an abusive relationship, and he’s not looking for a new one, but when word gets out Shiro is an unmated sub, dominants are invading the bakery. Pitch does his best to scare them off so he can woo Shiro at his own pace, but things escalate too fast. Will Pitch be able to get Shiro to trust him before it’s too late? Can he convince him he wants nothing more than to make him happy and keep him safe?

Word Count: Click here to reveal4538 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: These three 1.5k-word stories are bonus chapters for the Regency MMM An Unlikely Alliance trilogy, featuring a short story from the point of view of each of the three men, Humphrey, Abe and Clem. In The Spare Man, modest gentleman Humphrey Atkinson reflects on recent events and the tumultuous effect that Abe and Clem have had on his previously quiet life. Former hard man Abe Pengelly is in the spotlight for Privilege and Preferment, firstly in trouble with his mother after a drunken night out and then getting the better of an arrogant young sprig at the military headquarters of Horse Guards, Abe’s new and respectable workplace. Finally, Clem Metcalfe, secretary turned MA student, has his turn in Journey’s End, where he agonizes over whether a term spent in Oxford, away from his lovers in London, has weakened their romantic bond.

Word Count: Click here to reveal13069 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When Leo Wayland accepts a job as head of the new horror unit at Maiden Studios, he knows what is expected. Make cheap movies that earn their money back fast. It doesn't matter that he dislikes horror. He just needs to escape his assistant director's position at a rival studio. But he didn't expect to be assigned a terrible title and a leading man, all before he even had a script, or that his leading man would be Everett Reid, the actor who rejected a very young Leo’s advances, only to disappear from movies altogether a few years later in a cloud of scandal. Everett Reid will do anything for a chance to get back the career he lost and away from teaching at a theater camp for children. And if it means working with Leo Wayland again, he can do that too. Especially now that Leo is all grown up and not so untouchable. With only three weeks, a flamboyant stage actor, twelve scantily clad women, and a sound stage full of coffins may not seem like the makings of something great. But really, that all depends on what you are hoping for.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Bad things happen for a reason. Adam Neive’s expiration date is closer than he would like, and it’s only a matter of time before he loses his position as a Ganymede counter-boy. When a friend helps him secure a part-time job at a whiskey bar, his only thought is to escape the looming shadow of the brothels. He never expected another run-in with the witch Sebastian. Fourteen months after being booted from his coven, Sebastian has become convinced his brother’s death is connected to the wolves of The Whiskey Den. He just needs Adam’s help to discover how. But things are not always as they seem, and justice is more elusive than expected. When an announcement from the House of Witches changes everything, Adam will need to choose between life within the safety of the king's Monastery and the uncertainty of the city. While Sebastian will have to decide if his family's honor and the life he thought he had lost forever is worth more than the life he's only begun to realize he wants.

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

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

Summary: What happens when a figure-skating pairs partnership runs its course? For Jason Huang, it’s a chance to consider the possibility of an open, honest life. For Laurent Fortin, it’s a series of crushing losses. When friends suggest he leave the scandal and speculation behind in favor of graduate school, he seizes the opportunity. Jason calls his former rival to offer sympathy, but when he hears that Laurent is coming to his own city, he offers a house-share. It’s only natural that they begin training together; they both still love to skate. A half-serious suggestion becomes a dedicated effort to take pairs skating far beyond its conventional limits. They master unique challenges in a quest to compete at championship level. Along the way, their friendship grows through flirtation and dating to something much deeper. Once they’ve taken their skating partnership as far as they can, will their unexpected love stand on its own?

Word Count: Click here to reveal12,022 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sequel to Watch with Glittering Eyes Life has been going well for Travis Grayweaver recently. The Grand Council of High Magick hasn’t summoned him for anything. For a witch without a Guild, he’s still getting plenty of work. And best of all, he’s spent the last six months falling more and more in love with his best friend Niko, a rambunctious and playful cat familiar, who happens to love him back. Tonight, they’ll be celebrating the Yule with lots of candlelight and a feast for two and a festival in town as they honor the start of winter and wait for the sun’s return. Only Niko’s been acting a bit off lately, obviously keeping something from Travis. Travis is trying to be patient with him, but this thing from Niko’s past might be more than he can handle. Old demons and long-kept secrets will be revealed, but can the love they have for one another endure these revelations during the longest night of the year?

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A brilliant scientist out to save the world. A jaded agent looking to save the one he lost. And a conspiracy that spans oceans, reaching into the deepest parts of American national security. Lennon is a genius. He’s devoted his energy and his time to designing products to save lives. He’s gotten rich doing it, too. This time he’s created something to revolutionize war, crime, and policing -- a bullet that heals. He’s on top of the world and the one thing he needs is someone to share it with. The one he loved disappeared without a trace years ago, and until he gets closure he can’t commit. Ben is an agent with an agency so secretive for years people didn’t know it existed. He screwed up years ago and fell in love with the man he was supposed to be guarding. Now his lost love is in danger again. He’s developed a product bad actors all over the world will want to get their hands on. When Ben’s superiors order him back to Lennon’s side, he goes without hesitation. There’s only one catch -- Lennon can’t know he’s there. When one of those bad actors strikes, all the rules go out the window. Can Lennon overcome his mistrust once he knows the truth about Ben? When the enemy turns up the heat, will Ben manage to save Lennon from people who want him to kill?

Word Count: Click here to reveal50300 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A former blood slave. A strapping vampire. More zucchinis than any man could eat. Rue Yarrow was rescued from a blood bar and taken to a gated community of supernaturals. Haunted by nightmares and memories, he does his best to avoid people. His only solace is his garden, where he uses his magic to grow an abundance of vegetables. But one day, it isn't the zucchinis greeting him, but a severed human head. Noah Caramine wants as little drama as possible, and interfering with a vampire clan's business is never a good idea. He's never met a magic user and is curious about Rue, but he fears there will be consequences for stealing the blood slaves. When body parts start popping up inside the walls, Noah doesn't know if someone is trying to frame them for murder or distract them from keeping the blood slaves safe. Rue never believed he'd go near a vampire again, but when threats are drawing closer, he turns to Noah. Who better to keep him safe from vampires than a vampire?

Word Count: Click here to reveal62000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Humans off the paved road are nothing but vampire food. Eli Stark owns the only grocery store in Last Hope, and he does what he can to feed the people in the human settlement, but the food scarcity is real and most don’t have money to spend. When there is a change of members on the town board, things get even worse. Thano Moonlight is the leader of the supernatural beings ruling the area around Last Hope. For the last ten months, they’ve ruled the human settlement as well, but it’s time to hand over the reins. If the humans want to make their lives harder, they should have the power to do so, but he’s reluctant to leave Eli behind. When things turn critical in the town, Thano takes Eli to The Moonlight Ranch, but Eli can’t just abandon the people in Last Hope. They rely on him to make sure there is food to buy. If he has to choose between being with Thano or saving an entire village from starving, he should choose the village, right?

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

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

Summary: Curses, monsters and arranged matings! Rourke Flint, alpha of the Flint Pack, is sick of being at war with witches, sick of watching his friends die. So sick of it, he’d traded a piece of land for a witch to take as his mate in hopes of building an alliance. But werewolves mate for life, and now he’ll be forever tied to whichever witch they’re handing over. Ezra Inaxx Kuxium Enizax is a useless witch and the one the clan decides to sacrifice to the monsters. He’s never met a shifter before, but he’s heard the stories. Deviants. Beasts. Giants. And now he’ll spend the rest of his life with one of them. Rourke soon realizes the witches don’t want a treaty, and Ezra was sent to him as an insult. Ezra knows his clan never intended for there to be peace, but Rourke isn’t nearly as cruel as he was led to believe, and wouldn’t peace be a pleasant change? What if he could give Rourke enough information to achieve it?

Word Count: Click here to reveal35000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rock star Jo Avery didn’t have a choice about coming out, but ever since her ex outed her as bi she’s been a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ issues.  Most of her family wants nothing to do with her, but her brother has always supported her.  When he gets married, he wants her in the wedding party, and she has to accept.     The only problem?  Her new sister in law is the daughter of conservative pundit and anti-LGBT warrior Sarah Tremblay.  Sarah has another daughter, too, the beautiful and charming Valeria.   Valeria has been in the closet since she was fourteen.  She’s always envied Jo’s strength and freedom, if not her path to living her authentic life.  She soon finds herself falling for the fierce, pretty rocker, but coming out could cost her everything.  How many risks can she take for someone she’ll only know for two weeks?   Can Jo and Valeria turn attraction into love, or will their whirlwind romance blow out before it gets off the ground?