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Email Address: tinneantoo@gmail.com
Books By Tinnean
Word Count: 14,907
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Connor Murphy, the CFO of the family business, has given up his dream of becoming a chef in order to help the company. After all, family means the world to him, something his boyfriend learned at Christmas, much to his displeasure. This is why six months after that disastrous Christmas, Connor is sans boyfriend and buries himself in work to take his mind off his single status. Still, he enjoys baking desserts and bringing them to his beloved nanny. He also enjoys going to the Coffee Shoppe, exchanging glances with the man behind the counter. Until the man is suddenly gone. While Murphy Doyle waits for a job in his preferred field, he helps out behind the counter at his family’s coffee shop. He might be a physical therapist, but he also loves to bake, especially desserts, which are a big hit at work. He’s been intrigued by the businessman who frequently comes into the shop, wearing a three-piece suit and always ordering the same thing. Murph would have loved to ask him out, but it’s against company policy, so they never speak, just gaze silently at each other, everything but their eyes hidden by the masks they wear due to the pandemic. And then he gets his dream job, and he’s afraid the opportunity is lost. Are these two men destined to be ships passing in the night, or will family meddling somehow bring them together?
Word Count: 36,410
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Clancy Makem has played for the Brookeville Scorpions for the past seventeen years and is considered the century’s best shortstop. After he tears his ACL for the fourth time, his career falls apart, and the team’s surgeon gives him no choice but to retire. At thirty-eight, he finds himself without a job, so he decides to return to college to get the degree he’d put on hold. With that fourth surgery looming on the horizon, he’s also in need of a temporary caregiver, something -- someone -- he’s unwilling to accept. Clancy’s teammates, who love their former shortstop, are willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of this person. Charles Newton is a mathematical genius who had two master’s degrees under his belt by the age of eighteen. Now twenty-one, he has a doctorate waiting in the wings, only he finds himself burned out and with no desire to defend his dissertation. Even in the face of being disowned by his overbearing mother, he’s willing to walk away from academia. He’s in need of a job, and fortunately he’s offered one as a temporary caregiver to Clancy Makem -- a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone who’s secretly a baseball aficionado. Will Clancy welcome Charles -- supposedly clueless when it comes to baseball -- into his home, or will his teammates succeed in running the younger man off? Will Charles get the chance to work with the man he’s admired for years? And who is this person they refer to as Chuck?
Word Count: 76,644
Character Identities: Straight, Transgender
Summary: Kyle Winchester has a facility with numerous foreign languages, as well as reading and writing Braille, but when he fails to hear from the numerous colleges he’s applied to, he thinks he’s destined to spend his life as a busboy. Then, as luck would have it, he learns of an opening at a company in Boston where his knowledge of Braille just might get him the position. Off he goes, hoping he’ll obtain a good job and an even better girlfriend. When it turns out it isn’t Huntingdon that needs an expert in Braille, he turns his sights on the company’s sister organization, the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security, which actually deals in the gathering and dissemination of intelligence. The job is good, but still no girlfriend. April O’Shay has a secret she’s been keeping for years. To prevent a spiteful coworker from outing her to friends, family, and other coworkers, she leaves the small town where she’s lived all her life and moves to DC. With the help of her previous boss, she obtains a job waiting tables at the Rib Shack, a well-regarded restaurant. Now she has a good job, even better roommates, and a life that’s happy except for one minor detail -- she’s not comfortable returning to the dating scene. As much as she’d like to find a boyfriend, she’s afraid her secret will come between them. And then, one day, Kyle is sent on assignment to the Rib Shack, to observe a shady character who wants to get his talons into the gay son of the Secretary of the Treasury. There he meets April and is quick to realize he’s fascinated by her. As for April, she takes one look at his violet eyes and is smitten. It’s “like” at first sight for the two, with the promise of developing into much more. But Kyle works for an organization that could send him out to kill someone at any time, and April has her own secret she’s guarding. When April reveals she must return home for Christmas for the first time in many years, Kyle suggests he accompany her. Will her refusal result in their relationship teetering on the brink, or will they find a way to trust each other enough to hold on to what they have?
Word Count: 18,646
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Senator Franklin’s life seems perfect. He has a devoted wife, a smart son, and in a relatively short period of time, he’s moved up in politics to become Secretary of the Treasury. And then a man from his wife’s past arrives in DC and begins dating his son. What’s a man to do but call on a friend who’s one of the deadliest agents of all the alphabet agencies to look into it? Ryder Franklin’s life seems perfect. He has loving parents, a job at the State Department he enjoys, and a good friend who’s more than just a friend. Then a man from his mom’s past comes to DC and contacts him. Donald Edmonton assures Ryder he’s simply curious as to how his onetime sweetheart has fared, but Ryder isn’t sure he believes the man. Can he -- should he -- keep the man’s appearance from his family? Donald Edmonton’s life… isn’t perfect. His career has gone down the tubes and his finances are in disarray. The solution he comes up with lies in DC. He’s kept track of his former girlfriend and her family, and learned something interesting about her husband. He’ll go to her son first, see if he can get the rumor verified, and possibly make some money. After all, how difficult can that be?
Word Count: 138,550
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Sidebars are stories set in the Spy vs. Spook/Mann of My Dreams universe. The stories in this book are told from three different points of view: William Matheson’s, covering the majority of the events from 2002 to 2009, including his work at the WBIS and his relationship with Theo Bascopolis, a former rent boy. A Christmas story, told from Patrick (the Antichrist) Mulcahy’s POV, takes place in 2004. Two other stories are future fic and are from Mark Vincent’s POV, one about his anniversary and the other about his birthday. An additional story is included, the missing epilogue from Complications, featuring Rebecca Goddard, Matheson’s onetime secretary, who’s actually not the dumb blonde she appeared. Is It You? – Wills meets Theo Bascopolis and wonders if he could be the one. Sway – Wills goes along with Theo’s assumption that he can’t dance. This Simple Phrase – Wills and Theo spend their first Christmas together. Goodbye to Love – Wills returns home to the apartment he shares with Theo to find his lover has left him. Wills intends to discover why. To Be Loved – Wills has asked Theo to marry him, and they celebrate their first Easter as engaged men in Cambridge with Wills’s family P.S. I Love You – Wills and Theo get married and welcome a new addition to their little family. Dedicated to the One I Love – In 2004, same-sex marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts. For their first anniversary, Wills decides to take advantage of that and takes Theo to Cambridge so they can be legally married. Happy Anniversary, Baby redux – It’s Mark and Quinn’s anniversary, and Mark muses about how they got there. The Very Best Christmas Ever (So Far) – Pat Mulcahy, aka the Antichrist, has turned his life around and now lives with the Mathesons. On the trip to Washington, he meets someone who just might make this the best Christmas ever for him. When Complications Arrive at Your Door – This is the missing epilogue from Complications. Rebecca Goddard, daughter of the former WBIS doctor, has decided making herself scarce after Mark Vincent discovered her part in the events that went down in 2004 is a good idea. Five years later, she’s no longer looking over her shoulder, but maybe she should be. Trick or Treat – It’s Halloween, and Wills and Theo take their children trick or treating. Happy Birthday, Baby Redux – Mark Vincent has a birthday coming up, but his husband is out of town and won’t be there to celebrate with him. In addition, it’s snowing.
Word Count: 133,317
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay, Straight
Summary: Sidebars are stories set in the Spy vs. Spook/Mann of My Dreams universe. The stories in this book are told from the points of view of Nigel Mann, Bryan Sebring, Jack Matheson—Wills’s dad—a pair of jeans, Michael Shaw, and finally, Wills begins to tell his story. Solo Tu—Nigel Mann, known as the CIA’s own Mr. Freeze, and Portia Sebring, the Ice Princess of the NSA, might seem like a match made in the Arctic, but it’s exactly what Anthony Sebring wants for his daughter. This story starts the Sidebars, taking place in 1958. Chasing Rainbows—If they’re lucky, Sebrings find not only their “one” but their own HEA. However, not all are lucky. Bryan Sebring knows who his “one” is, but the stubborn man is reluctant to face facts. Bryan has the one; will he ever have the other? How to Handle a Gay Son—Jack Matheson learns Wills, his beloved oldest son is gay, and we see how he handles it. The Lick Me, Suck Me, Fuck Me Jeans—Wills’s jeans explain how his owner becomes pretty much irresistible while wearing them. Where Have You Been, Willie Boy?—Michael Shaw has been William Matheson’s best friend since they met in the sixth grade. Things change when they start college, helped along by those lick me, suck me, fuck me jeans Wills had been given for a birthday present. But Michael isn’t gay, and he won’t let anyone label him as queer, not even for his best friend. But will his determination drive away the one man he values above all others? Into the Lion’s Den—The first of Wills Matheson’s stories. We see his relationship with Michael Shaw, with his family, and eventually with the WBIS and Mark Vincent, who becomes his boss.
Word Count: 27,169
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: The New Year of 2002 starts off with a literal bang, when Mark Vincent is called to WBIS headquarters and learns the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security has been disbanded. He's not happy with the situation, but he's ready to make his own way in the intelligence waters of DC. However, when Trevor Wallace, known as The Boss, requests he accept the CIA's offer of a job, Mark reluctantly agrees. He isn't surprised to find working for the CIA is exactly what he expected, with the Company not allowing him to do his job. Mark lets his resentment be known as he's partnered with one officer after another, with no success. As a result, he's determined to leave the CIA, in spite of his promise to the man whose opinion he valued so highly. Quinton Mann is viewed as royalty in the intelligence community. He had a run-in with Mark Vincent a few years before, while Vincent was still senior special agent for the WBIS, and Quinn had developed a healthy respect for him. Now, however, it's his turn to partner with the man considered by the alphabet agencies to be a sociopath. Quinn can see what the problem is, and he's aware Vincent might not remain CIA for long. Now, the year is drawing to a close. Will a drink on Christmas Eve change things for both men?
Word Count: 145,894
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Imagine an earth just a bit different from ours. In this world normals unknowingly share the planet with all manner of beings, including vampyres, most of whom rely on bagged blood, which is supplemented by the blood of sabors, valued individuals whose blood contains an element necessary for the survival of the species. Tyrell Small has always felt different. He just never knew how different. On his sixteenth birthday, his father reveals Ty is one such sabor, with the birthmark to prove it. Upon learning he’ll be required to feed vampyres, Ty decides he’s not having any of that. He’ll run away and make his own destiny. Slipping out his second story bedroom window, he finds Adam Dasani, the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, waiting for him on the roof. Adam is reluctant to distress the young sabor about to slide down the drainpipe, but he’s one of the vampyres Ty will one day feed. Equerry to the vampyre king, Adam had been given the task of guarding Ty on the day he was born. Because the blood of the two most powerful saborese families in the shared history of vampyres and sabors runs through Ty’s veins, some vampyres will do anything to obtain him for themselves. It will be up to Adam to keep Ty safe, not only from those rogue vampyres but from others who have plans of their own for him. Everyone keeps telling Ty he can’t escape his destiny, but he has no intention of sitting around twiddling his thumbs, waiting for life to catch up with him. However, will something Adam inadvertently said give Ty a way to live the life he wants and keep those he loves -- including Adam -- out of danger?
Word Count: 47,349
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: All the Honorable St. John Ashford ever wanted was his father’s love, but if he can’t have that, he’ll settle for being noticed. In an effort to do that, St. John sets his sights on Andrew Dorincourt, a man for whom the Viscount has nothing but disdain. Surely this will draw his father’s attention? Unfortunately, while Andrew seems willing to date him, he appears entirely disinterested in anything else. St. John knows it’s just a matter of time before all his plans going up in smoke, especially when Andrew becomes attracted to an exotic young man he rescued from Malossini’s House of Oddities. Robin Dorincourt is something of a playboy who enjoys nothing so much as flitting from one boyfriend to another. He doesn’t poach, though, and when he finds himself attracted to St. John Ashford, he does what he can to keep a healthy distance between them, using taunts and teasing. It’s difficult, until he realizes his brother is in love with someone else. Robin’s path toward St. John is clear, and he makes his move. But is his path as clear as he imagines? St. John might be as attracted to Robin as Robin is to him, but he’ll be damned if he allows himself to be passed from one brother to the other as if he’s nothing more than a poor second choice. Now it remains is for Robin to persuade St. John he’s no one’s second choice.
Word Count: 106,516
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Andrew Dorincourt has the blood of powerful shifters in his veins. It’s his job to take care of his siblings, who are his pack, and he has no intention of letting anything get in the way. However, he’s seen the love shared not only by his parents but by the Papas, the men who raised his mother, and he wants that for himself. The problem is none of the young women he’s dated have left him wanting anything more than to go home alone. Perhaps he’d have more success by dating men, as his brother does. Only it seems he’s not very successful at that, either. Da’ric is the son of Ric’u, a Brachi who’d been stranded on Terra for decades, and David Knight, an ichthyologist who traveled up the Amazon in search of his heart’s desire. Seeing the deep love his fathers have for each other, Da’ric determines to settle for nothing less. At any rate, the dating pool is pretty much empty in the Lagoon of Dreams, and so he goes to the States, where he intends to become a herpetologist. In order to do that, he must mingle with normals, Terrans who have no idea extraterrestrials share the planet with them. When he walks among Terrans, he must disguise his heritage by wearing sunglasses to conceal his rainbow-colored eyes and long-sleeved shirts to hide his scale-patterned skin. After being kidnapped and sold to a high-ranking member of the London underworld to be displayed as the Snake Boy, Da’ despairs of ever seeing his beloved family again, until Drew wanders into the House of Oddities and helps Da’ escape. Is it fate, kismet, or destiny that brings together the offspring of two very unique families? Have these two been waiting for each other, and will the future hold the love they’d both been seeking?
Word Count: 114,710
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Giving up a life as rent boy Sweetcheeks for his lover, William Matheson, was an easy decision for Theo Bascopolis. But years of selling his body and the lingering pain of being thrown out by his father leave Theo worried that Giving up his life as a rent boy for his lover William Matheson is the easiest decision Theo Bascopolis has ever made. This smart, handsome man wants him in spite of his past and promises to love him forever. But that past has left Theo riddled with insecurities, which have a tendency to turn up when he’s at his most vulnerable. Case in point: things seem to fall apart when Wills goes on an extended assignment and the number of times he contacts Theo is precisely zero. Theo might be willing to believe work is getting in the way, but then a message he receives appears to confirm another betrayal. Well, his heart may be broken, but he’s not dumb enough to hang around waiting for it to get shattered. He leaves town determined to have nothing more to do with Wills. Wills returns home after an exhausting assignment only to find Theo gone with no explanation. It doesn’t take him long to piece together what’s happened and determine a plan of action. Wills is a man of his word who keeps his promises, and he has no intention of letting the best man he’s ever found walk away from him. But having been betrayed once, is Theo willing to trust his lover not to break his heart again?
Word Count: 10389
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Change comes to all of us. For Theo Bascopolis the first time is when he’s fifteen. He finds his life falling apart when his father discovers Theo is gay and orders him to become straight or leave. Having no choice, in spite of what his father might think, Theo leaves. But where can a fifteen-year-old go? Especially when it starts to rain. He thinks things are looking up when he meets a striking man named Franky, who seems very attracted to him. However, once again Theo’s life changes when he learns all Franky wants is for him to hustle. And so Theo becomes the rent boy, Sweetcheeks. However, Franky underestimates Sweetcheeks, and the results of the ensuing fight see Sweetcheeks fleeing to Washington DC, where he crosses paths with a group of rent boys who take him in. Finally, Sweetcheeks has a family, a home, and an additional source of income in the form of apartments they’re able to rent out. His life changes again a few years later when a mysterious tenant by the name of Mark Vincent becomes the reason behind the assault on one of Sweetcheeks’s boys. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital, bringing with him his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn’t for rent boys, he hopes Matheson can see beyond the body he’s offered to so many. But Matheson has secrets of his own. Can Sweetcheeks overcome his insecurities enough to believe in the quiet man who’s come into his life, and can Matheson keep his actual occupation a secret without it jeopardizing their budding relationship?
Word Count: 91,916
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Johnny Smith's luck has been bad from the moment the Stock Market crashed and he'd been forced to leave an exclusive boarding school, and he sees no reason to believe it will ever change. But then he meets Church Chetwood, a dashing, devil-may-care director of motion pictures, and his life is turned topsy-turvy when Chetwood takes him along on what the man promises will be the adventure of a lifetime. Johnny doesn't care, as long as he's with his Mr. Chetwood. The year before, Church had hired Captain Johansen to take him to the mysterious island of Iwi Po'o on the tramp steamer August Moon. There he'd found and captured a sabretooth tiger and brought the animal back to the States. "Chetwood's Kitty," so dubbed by the press, is the reason he has to leave New York so precipitously -- people had died and the law is after him. The only bright spot is the kid he'd come across in a saloon. Church thinks he's had the best idea of his life when he decides to take Johnny along with him to the South Seas. He and Captain Johansen plan to make a living transporting goods from one island to another, and they have every intention of avoiding Iwi Po'o. But a treacherous stowaway has plans to take the August Moon for himself, and convinces the men to mutiny. Johnny, Church, the skipper, the ship's cook, and the wireless operator, accompanied by the little girl Johnny had rescued from prostitution, find themselves in a lifeboat, with Iwi Po'o the only spot of land. The last time Church was on this island, twelve men lost their lives to what lived there. Will Johnny, Church, and their friends somehow manage to make it our alive this time?
Word Count: 17,314
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: IChurch Chetwood, renowned motion picture director, is given an ultimatum by his studio: film a movie with romance or else. Since this is the height of the Depression, and since Church enjoys eating, he reluctantly agrees. He finds a beautiful woman who’s willing to sail on the August Moon to the uncharted island of Iwi Po’o. While there, he makes the discovery of a lifetime, guaranteed to make them all millionaires ... Only it doesn’t exactly turn out like that. The “discovery of a lifetime,” a saber-toothed tiger the press dubs Chetwood’s Kitty, breaks free and runs amok in Manhattan, causing death and mayhem. Months later, Church is facing indictment and a long stretch up the river and has no choice but to lie low until he can get out of town. While nursing his troubles in a saloon, he spots a young man who’s even more down on his luck than Church. Johnny Smith has been on his own since Black Tuesday, four years earlier, and he does what he has to in order to keep body and soul -- what’s left of it -- together, even if it isn’t what he ever expected to do. He enters the saloon, hoping for a little warmth and perhaps a meal. What he finds is Church Chetwood, the director whose documentaries have fascinated him for years. Mr. Chetwood buys him that meal, and Johnny willingly goes with him to his rooming house, ready to do whatever Mr. Chetwood wants, even if Mr. Chetwood claims he isn’t “like that.” Is Johnny’s luck about to take a turn for the better? After all, Mr. Chetwood has a plan to get out of town, and if Johnny’s really lucky, maybe Church will let him come along.
Word Count: 45,894
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Ben Haggerty is devastated when he returns home from work to discover his lover of eight years has gone off to complete his master's degree at another college -- and left no forwarding address. Not only has Ben chosen Rick over his beloved family, but he's supported his boyfriend both financially and emotionally the entire time. Unable to remain in their shared apartment, Ben moves and spends a miserable holiday season alone. With the New Year, however, he's determined to make a fresh start, so he manages to obtain Rick's address and sends him a card asking if Rick ever plans to return. Somehow, the card winds up in the wrong mailbox. Jason Prescott is a genius, having obtained his first master's degree at twenty-one and now working on his second. When he receives a card in error, he returns both the card and a card of his own to be courteous, expressing his hopes Ben can get in touch with his boyfriend. This begins a correspondence that leads to friendship, and ... the start of something more? Jason introduces Ben to his family and reunites him with his own. But will Jason, who's even smarter than Rick, be satisfied with someone as ordinary as blue-collar Ben feels himself to be? Or will Rick, realizing what he's let slip through his fingers, manage to persuade Ben to take him back?
Word Count: 129,650
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Mark Vincent has risen from senior special agent to Director of Interior Affairs in the WBIS. Lately, life has been sweet for him -- in addition to his promotion, he's found a partner in Quinton Mann, who can almost match his ability in the intelligence field, in spite of the fact Quinn's CIA. Mark has also found a condo in Alexandria with the help of Portia Mann, Quinn's mother, and it's closer to Quinn's town house than Mark's present apartment. Sweetest of all, Mark plans to take Quinn to his island in the Caribbean for the holidays. Quinn's glad he has the holiday with Mark to look forward to -- something is going on at Langley, and he feels he's being kept out of the loop. To make matters even worse, useless missions and sleepless nights filled with nightmares are leaving him exhausted. But then his mother's life if threatened, and Quinn discovers the accident that resulted in her hospitalization was no accident. The obsessively self-absorbed Senator Wexler is involved, and while Quinn considers himself a civilized man, now he's out for blood. Up until this point, Mark has stayed out of Quinn's CIA business. But hurting Quinn and those he loves isn't a smart move, and Mark has every intention of seeing Wexler pays. Quinn demands to come along, and while Mark isn't happy, he finally agrees, and they set out together to deal with the senator. There's just one catch: this will be the first time Quinn sees Mark at his deadly best, and Mark isn't sure how his lover will react.
Word Count: 101356
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Kipp Llewellyn, the proverbial poor little rich boy, can have whatever he wants, except the one thing he wants most: his father’s love. When the opportunity arises to obtain it, Kipp jumps at the chance, even though it means breaking a date with “Ham”, the man he’s sure he’s falling in love with. However, the opportunity turns out to be an arranged marriage with his father’s biggest competitor. Even worse, Kipp discovers his proposed groom is Hyde Wyndham, the man of his dreams. Having lived in a gilded cage his entire twenty-one years, Kipp refuses to settle for anything less than love and walks away from both his father and his future husband. Hyde didn’t achieve his position in the financial world by taking no for an answer, however, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make Kipp realize he’s wanted for himself, including wooing the young man he intends to marry, prenuptial agreements be damned. He’s certain he’s succeeded, until Kipp learns something that puts an insurmountable barrier between them. Will Hyde be able to overcome Kipp’s doubts, and will Kipp realize that some things are worth the sacrifice?
Word Count: 105,833
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Quinton Mann, a highly ranked CIA officer, is used to being called the Ice Man. He’s astounded to discover himself in a relationship with Mark Vincent, not because Vincent is a man, but because he’s a top-rated WBIS agent. There they are though, for a total of five glorious days. But when Mark uses the excuse of going to Massachusetts for his mother’s funeral to end their relationship, Quinn’s not buying it. No one screws with Mark Vincent. Even Mark doesn't screw with himself. Once he realizes how close he's allowed Quinton Mann to get to him, he does what any self-respecting spy would do -- he makes tracks out of there. But Quinn does something no one else ever has -- he comes after Mark. Maybe this relationship thing with a spook isn’t such a bad idea. Meanwhile, something strange is going on in the intelligence community worldwide. It takes Quinn’s disappearance while investigating a rogue antiterrorism organization that results in Mark making up his mind. Quinn may be a spook, but he’s Mark’s spook, dammit -- and once he gets Quinn home, he intends to keep him. He knows without a doubt he’ll find Quinn. The question is, will he find Quinn in time?
Word Count: 60,180
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: RAfter seeing his father's profligate ways almost destroy the family business, Ransom Burke has instituted a firm policy of no work fraternization. When his longtime lover leaves him for a woman, Ransom vows never again to let anyone get close to him. He informs all future lovers he'll shower them with gifts as long as they remain monogamous. However, at the first sign of straying, they'll receive a bouquet of white roses tipped with gold and the affair will be over. Man after man chooses straying over Ransom until the day the very appealing Parrish Rutledge comes to work for him. That means Parrish will forever be out of his reach. Parrish has been alone since he was sixteen, having been tossed out when his older brother discovered he was gay. He's immediately attracted to his new boss, but even though he dreams of Ransom, he knows, due to the company policy, it can't go anywhere. But in the aftermath of the office Christmas party, things change between them, and Parrish is given a choice: keep his job and know he can never again see Ransom as anything other than his boss, or quit and become his lover. The one is unthinkable, and as for the other, Ransom is a serial monogamist who doesn't have the best track record. Parrish's choice will either lead to a Christmas Day where once again he'll be alone, or the best present ever will be under his tree.
Word Count: 112566
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: David Knight has been plagued by dreams his entire life, only to have all memory of them vanish when he awakens. Now the dreams are coming with more frequency, and they seem to be drawing him to the Amazon. A scientist with a PhD in ichthyology and a dedication to learning all he can about lungfish, whose existence dates back to the Devonian era, David is determined to see what the Amazon holds. His hopes seem about to be answered when Dr. Carlos Avila contacts him. It seems the Brazilian archeologist discovered the remains of a previously undiscovered species on a tributary of the Amazon, and he’d like nothing better than for David to join the expedition to see if more of the creature can be found. Of course David leaps at the opportunity and flies to Pesadelo Bay to join the mismatched team. Once there, he discovers not only does Dr. Avila have his own agenda, but a former conquest as well as a friend who’d saved his life years before are part of the team and are engaged to be married. Meanwhile, the need to sail up the Amazon to find what… or who… is calling him there has become more and more pressing, and David must decide which is the most important—learning what Dr. Avila really is searching for or finding the answer to his dreams?
Word Count: 124,840
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Quinton Mann is CIA through and through. Mark Vincent is WBIS for life. There is no way they could end up as anything other than adversaries -- and yet, Quinn takes Mark out to dinner on his birthday -- the one no one is supposed to know about -- and gives him one hell of a present in the restaurant's restroom. Mark, not to be outdone, has decided to escalate this game, because it has to be a game, right? There's no way it can be anything else. But as the game continues, as Quinn shows up to a WBIS funeral, as a friend of Mark’s penetrates the CIA computer network to get information on Quinn, as Mark breaks into Quinn's house and gives Quinn a very interesting encounter, both Quinn and Mark realize that this is becoming the most real thing in their lives. Can they find a way to do their jobs and keep this surprising, intriguing connection?
Word Count: 34985
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: By the year 2060, mankind is on the verge of bringing Terra to her knees. The population has exploded, and land for cattle and crops has been sacrificed for housing and employment for the more than fifteen billion souls now living on the planet. Synthetic food is created in plants, and the remaining animals are kept in zoos and game preserves of the wealthy. In an effort to insure the survival of mankind, spaceships are sent to explore Terra’s nearest neighbors, Mars and Venus, but will it be too little too late? The four men who took the MRM to Mars have high hopes, until on their return home they travel through a magnetic field that crashes them… somewhere. As they explore the unknown world with its dangers, Doc, Nick, Hank, and Ed will struggle to come to terms with their new reality and find their own paths to happiness.
Word Count: 15808
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: It’s 1996, and Mark Vincent, senior special agent of the Washington Bureau of Investigation and Security, is sent on assignment to Prague to cancel the head of a terrorist organization. He has no doubt it will be a simple operation. After all, he’s the best, isn’t he? Only another member of the WBIS gets involved, and when everything goes south -- including the loss of valued members of his team -- Mark vows to destroy the man responsible for this debacle. Refused permission to return to the States and ordered to take time off to decompress, Mark heads to Paris, where he meets an attractive rent boy who introduces himself as Louis. Unable to resist, Mark, portraying an ordinary businessman, gives his name as Rick, and they spend the week together. However, neither man is what he portrays himself as. With this unlikely pair, can this be the start of a beautiful friendship?
Word Count: 14541
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: All quiet and friendless high school student Drey White wants is to create a formula that will give him the confidence to talk to a guy. With the encouragement of Artemas Beaumont, his favorite teacher, Drey thinks he’s succeeded. The opportunity to test it arrives when he’s invited by the cool kids to their party. After mixing the powder with his beer, he barely has time for a sip before another teen grabs the bottle and drinks. Drey is unsure if the potion will work, but then he’s kissed by the guy. Pleased, Drey retrieves the bottle and drinks the remainder himself, only to find it gives him a case of the giggles. Now an adult, the effects of Love Potion #9 still reverberate through Drey’s life. Will things ever return to normal? And what will Artemas, now his friend -- and hopefully more -- think when he discovers what Drey has created?
Word Count: 19852
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: No government lasts forever, and the Third Confederation is no exception. With its collapse, the starship Midnight Ride has no choice but to run—from rebels, pirates, and warlords, with a cargo bay of political refugees who’ve been cryogenically frozen. Now, after centuries of drifting through space, trying to get home, the starship’s systems are failing, and her occupants don’t have much time left. Fortunately, they’ve wandered into a solar system containing a G-type star, and it’s left to Chief Scout Hart and his scout pod Sarah to explore the sole planet that seems as if it might be hospitable. However, others call the blue and green planet home, and Hart must determine if they’re a threat. Will what Hart finds on the planet be enough to ensure the survival of the Midnight Ride’s passengers and crew, or will the desire for power overtake the refugees and lead to disaster?
Word Count: 42060
Character Identities: Lesbian
Summary: Dark deeds are being done, and Jenn Canaday, a special agent with the FBI, has been assigned to look into them. This takes her to New Mexico, where cattle are being rustled and people are going missing—one of them the niece of the state’s governor. Meg Parkinson is a sheriff’s deputy in the small town of Laurel Hill. She and Jenn had once spent a steamy week together, but then Jenn had sent her away, something Meg hasn’t gotten over, as reluctant as she is to admit it. When Meg notices that the homeless camp on the edge of her town has become deserted, Jenn is brought into her vicinity to aid in the investigation. Will the former lovers be able to work together? Can they rekindle the flame that had once burned so brightly? And will they learn what’s behind all the disappearances without disappearing themselves?
Word Count: 88,250
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: In 1861, eleven-year old Zachary Taylor Browne marches off to war as a drummer boy with the 14th Brooklyn Chasseurs under the leadership of Lieutenant Steve Marriott, whom he worships. During the Battle of Antietam, he saves his lieutenant’s life and earns the nickname Sharps. When the 14th musters out in 1864, Sharps and Marriott part ways. Steve Marriott has always liked the boy under his care but lost track of him after the war. Marriott becomes a wagon master, and in 1869 receives word the family of an old friend needs his help in traveling to the Dakotas. On the journey there, he crosses paths once again with Sharps, now a young man, and falls hopelessly in love. But there’s danger awaiting them on the trail as well as misunderstandings. Can they arrive safely at their destination? Will Steve’s feelings be returned? And if so, can he and Sharps find a home together in the wild territory?
Word Count: 3588
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Max Futé lost his license to practice medicine when he assisted someone he loved to die. His only chance of working again is to join up with Prinzip, an anti-terrorist organization in Paris. He manages to subvert the madmen running Prinzip and save numerous lives. Among those is WBIS agent Charles Browne, with whom he falls in love. When the organization is taken down and they’re rescued, Max is brought to the US to work for the WBIS. Browne invites Max to move in with him, and the little French doctor thinks all his dreams have come true. Unfortunately, Browne is a commitment-phobe, and sees Max as nothing more than a convenient body. Will Max stay with him? Or will he cut his losses and find someone who will love him as he deserves? Note: This short story was originally published in the charity collection, Love Is Proud.
Word Count: 54,637
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Laurie Parkinson, who’s lived in Laurel Hills all his life, is a gay sheet metal worker who’d rather be a gay hairdresser. Wheat Dupuis, who’s also gay, is the scion of one of Laurel Hill’s wealthiest families. He’d rather grow grapes than become CFO of Dupuis International. Laurie wakes one morning to discover his family gone and his town decimated by a bacteria that has lain dormant for millennia, incased in ice. With the melting of the ice caps, the bacteria is released, and mankind faces a pandemic that could surpass the Black Plague. Wheat and his family are on their way to safety when the unthinkable happens and he’s left behind. Laurie knows of a bunker in the woods outside Laurel Hill, where he intends to take refuge. On the way there, Laurie finds and rescues Wheat. Can two such dissimilar men work together through a pandemic to find their families ... and possibly find love, as well?
Word Count: 16508
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Lyncoln Ryland always saw himself as an ordinary man with an ordinary job, working maintenance in an ordinary mall. The only thing about him that isn’t ordinary are his feelings for the man who’s renovating the mall, but any kind of relationship with such a sophisticated man is highly unlikely. Adam James is the wealthy man who owns the mall. He’s secretly been yearning for Lyncoln, a man he doesn’t see as ordinary in the least. But Adam’s family has plans for him, and they don’t include a relationship with a blue-collar worker. All this is about to change when the sirens go off, signaling the possible end of the world. When the two men realize this isn’t a drill, they take shelter in the mall that isn’t quite as ordinary as everyone believes. What will the outcome be when two such disparate men must survive the apocalypse together?
Word Count: 9947
Character Identities: Straight
Summary: Nigel Mann has learned to protect his emotions by creating a wall of ice between himself and the world. He’s been doing it for so long that no one remembers the little boy he used to be, least of all himself. His occupation as an agent for the CIA has led him to accept the sobriquet he’s earned: “Mr. Freeze.” Portia Sebring deciphers codes for the NSA. She’s a warm woman, but she doesn’t like men with grabby hands and isn’t afraid to slap them down. Because of this, she’s been labeled cold. She determines that if they insist on calling her the “Ice Princess,” she’ll give them exactly what they’re expecting to see: a woman cold as ice. These two were never meant to meet, but outside factors are in play, and ironically, when Mr. Freeze meets the Ice Princess, what else could result but sparks flying?
Word Count: 125,090
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: In 2002, Mark Vincent, onetime senior special agent, ran into John, a troubled little boy, at a local McDonald’s. Concerned, although it wasn’t his business, he gave the kid his business card and left. Three years later, Mark is director of his department at the WBIS and married to Quinton Mann, the former CIA spook who now writes spy novels. They’ve settled into a life of quiet domesticity and are even considering adopting a cat. All this changes when John, now using another name, barrels into Mark’s life with a secret no one expects and on the run from an organization that wants him despite the collateral damage. What will Mark, the man known as “the best” in the intelligence community, do when he learns what this secret is? Will it affect his relationship with Quinn? And how complicated are things going to get when they decide to get involved?
Word Count: 67429
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: During the War to End All Wars, Roddy Sayer survived his trip down the Ruzizi with his beloved, Charlie Pearson. He survived the sinking of the Konigin Marie Christine he and Charlie engineered. But now it’s 1922, his beloved is dead after working on a dig in Egypt to unearth royal tombs, and Roddy is alone, with odd, erotic dreams of an Egyptian prince ensnared by the machinations of a high priest. Is he losing his mind? Thomas Fortescue-Smythe, who flirted with Roddy and made advances toward him before, finds him again. Tommy persuades Roddy to come to his family home in England, and eventually, to share his bed and his body. But when Roddy sees an Egyptian man and knows it is the same man who was the high priest in his dreams, can he keep himself and Tommy safe?
Word Count: 19656
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Max Futé and Avery “Smitty” Schmidt are both doctors who work for the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security. They’ve settled into a comfortable relationship, and although Max assures him otherwise, Smitty is waiting for the other shoe to drop. That will be when Charles Browne, Max’s former lover, realizes what he’s let slip through his fingers and comes to take Max back. Although Charles had enjoyed having Max in his bed, he’s always declared he wasn’t gay. And finding solace with other men after Max left him had nothing to do with ... anything. Now, however, he’s found a woman who ticks all his boxes in spite of her somewhat kinky tastes. Will Santa give them each what they want most this Christmas?
Word Count: 79,810
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Tom Weber has always been gay, and while he might be short, he’s the ultimate leather daddy who takes no guff from anyone. Jack Jackson is a big man who’s never doubted he was straight. In fact, he loves women so much, he’s married three of them. At different times, of course. However, in spite of their diverse sexual orientations, in spite of time and distance that has separated them over the years, the two men are best friends. Now, that friendship will be tested, as Tom, having become intrigued enough to want to try bottoming, makes a request of his friend, and Jack agrees to fulfill it. After Tom gets what he wants, will Jack let their relationship go back to being just friends? Or will the two decide to forge something new and go from friends to lovers?
Word Count: 74,823
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Can things possibly run smoothly when a CIA spook moves in with a WBIS spy? If they’re Quinton Mann and Mark Vincent, they damned well better had. Quinn, having resigned from the CIA after the debacle of a covert agent being outed, is now living with Mark. Over the next year and a half, they learn to navigate the seas of their relationship together, dealing with a death in the family and Quinn’s new career as a writer, while friends from Mark’s previous life reach out for help and the CIA tries to get Quinn back.
Word Count: 99249
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: George Pettigrew and his papa must leave the California rancho they'd lived on since his birth. They end up in New York City, where Papa marries and George gets a new beloved mama. George also meets Frank and Bart who become fast friends, and in Bart's case, even more. The start of the Civil War leaves George the man of the family, but although he’s found a job, it’s difficult to pay the ever-increasing rent. Then Papa dies at Appomattox and Mama falls ill. After Mama dies, her father takes George’s siblings. When George learns his younger sister is being abused, he rescues the three children. But will dressing his sisters as boys and himself as a woman be enough of a disguise to keep them safe until they can reach the valley he’s dreamed of? Will Bart leave behind his own family and go with the man he loves?
Word Count: 98659
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Many obstacles stand in Warrick Synclaire’s way. A baronet’s son, he’s in love with his best friend, Thomas Smythe. Same-sex love is illegal in early 20th century England. To complicate things, Warrick is heading for Canada, while Thomas is destined for the military college at Sandhurst. Warrick isn’t sure he can bear the separation. The day before Warrick leaves, Thomas persuades him to see a fortuneteller. The old gypsy woman’s warnings don’t scare Warrick, but another gypsy, Nicolae, intrigues, arouses, and terrifies him. Later that evening, Nicolae breaks into Warrick’s bedchamber, bedding then biting him. But Warrick convinces himself it was just a bad dream and sails off to Canada to start a new life. There Warrick renews his acquaintance with Fox Sullivan, who he first met during the war. Soon the two become lovers, but for Warrick, the relationship is purely physical. Thomas still owns his heart. When he can no longer bear their separation, Warrick returns to his ancestral home in Kent, determined to reunite with Thomas, who now has a lover of his own. But the encounter with Nicolae changed Warrick considerably. Every full moon he turns into a ravenous creature, which seems able to rule his life even during daylight hours. Determined to win over Warrick, Fox sells his medical practice and heads for England. But will he be too late to save the man he loves?
Word Count: 43224
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: Gabe Granger gathers intelligence for George Washington, even after he’s bitten by a vampyre in the service of the British. Remember Littlebury, his longtime friend, stays with him as his black swan, keeping him safe from sunlight and getting messages to General Washington. After the war ends, they continue working for the fledgling government through one conflict after another. When Gabe loses Remember at the Battle of Gettysburg, he’s ready to give up, but his country stills need his services. And there are many black swans for him to choose from. None are any more fortunate than Remember, and one by one they’re killed in various wars. All Noah Poynter wants is to be a black swan, and he’s devastated when his pop tells him he’s just a normal. In spite of everything, Gabe and Noah become friends. But is there any hope for something more for the two of them?
Word Count: 67000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: With the death of Quinton Mann’s cousin, Mann Manor becomes his, and in spite of assurances that the Manor isn’t in bad shape, Quinn and his lover, Mark Vincent, discover otherwise when they arrive to inspect it. They find the floors have been torn up, some more recently than the last time his cousin had been here. They also learn that the neighborhood teens are using the Manor as a hangout. Quinn agrees that their best option at this time is to have the house wired for security. Grey Rayne, an agent of Mark’s, is working on this until the floorboard gives way under her, and she’s injured. In extricating herself, she finds a letter and a map that might reveal the reasons behind the damage done to the Manor. Will Quinn and Mark be able to get to the bottom of this? And what will happen if it comes out at the Company that Quinn is friends with the deadliest agent the WBIS has ever produced?
Word Count: 5976
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Deuce Pettigrew has worked for the mysterious Dr. Pandora Gautier since he left the Marines twelve years before. He did whatever needed to be done and never asked questions. Now a previous mission is coming back to bite Deuce in the ass, and not in a good way. As a result, he needs to distance himself not only from the job that consumed him for so many years, but from the man who, unaware, owns his heart. Deuce decides to go home, but can he go home again? And will he ever find a man who means as much as the one he has to leave behind?
Word Count: 16759
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Jefferson Sebring wined and dined, charmed and cajoled, and lured and seduced handsome men into his bed. However, he never wanted to keep one longer than a few dates or a few months. He had his work with the CIA and his duties to his family, and with those and his men, he was content - until Ludovic Rivenhall came into his life, first squiring his sister Portia around town, then falling into Jefferson's bed as so many others had. But Ludo wanted more than a same time next year type of relationship; he wanted to stay there, and Jefferson found he was willing to allow it as long as they both still wanted it. Years later, they both still wanted each other - but men didn't marry men. Or did they, in this new world they had survived to see?
Word Count: 104000
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: The distance between Savannah, GA and Washington, DC is less than six hundred miles, but it might as well be the distance from the Earth to the Moon when it comes to the people who live in those cities. In Savannah, an ordinary family is making friends and falling in love, but they’re about to find their lives disrupted when they come into contact with some of the most ruthless and unsavory people who just so happen to call DC home. Enter Love: Tad Jackson fled from his mother and his bigoted grandfather to live with his father Jack, who happens to be gay and who shares a house called the ranch with his lover, Tom Weber. Tad finds the home he needs, as well as the love and support, to become a confident and kind young man. Rush Dalton is the scion of a wealthy, socially prominent Atlanta family. However, he too has fled, from their emotional coldness and unreasonable expectations. Once he arrives at Pulaski and Jasper University in Savannah, Georgia, he’s chosen for an internship at Jackson’s construction company. That’s where he meets Tad. Tad knows that he's bisexual and wants Rush; Rush knows that he wants Tad. Now all Tad has to do is convince Rush that he really does belong in this family—and in Tad's bed. Could You Be the One: Billy Bob Bolt, known as Ragg Mopp at the Jackson Construction Company where he works, has the usual baggage: his family not only thinks he’s lost his way to Jesus, but they aren't happy with January Stephens, his brand new girlfriend, who's had too many boyfriends for their liking. What would really cause their heads to explode is the fact that the family he's staying with are gay. Mopp has become friendly with everyone at the ranch, including Tom Weber's friend, Josh Cooper, who’s also gay and who he likes very much. Trouble crops up when Mopp's girlfriend suspects him of cheating on her with the latest addition to the family, a young woman and her son who have a troubled past. When Jan gives him the ultimatum: marry her or they’re through, Mopp starts to wonder if he was wrong in thinking she was his one. Best Laid Plans: Everyone is making plans in Savannah. Rush Dalton and Tad Jackson plan to live happily ever after, while January Stephens plans to ease the hurt of a declined marriage proposal with alcohol. Josh Cooper's plan is to conceal his feelings for Mopp. And Mopp? He simply plans to get his life back on track—if not with his girlfriend, then in holding tight to Josh's friendship. Meanwhile, Eric Jameson arrives from DC with plans of his own. He intends to elicit information from Jan in an effort to come into contact with Babe, the woman who’s taken refuge with her son at the big house called the ranch. Babe plans to stay away from anyone who might try to take her little boy away from her and return him to the mysterious Dr. Pandora Gautier. Deuce Pettigrew’s only plan is to keep the man he treasures safe and in one piece. But the thing about plans is—sometimes they just don’t work out the way you expect them to.
Word Count: 88296
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: J Tanner was a valued member of National Security 3, an obscure branch of MI5, an expert in undercover work, excellent at many languages, and in love with his superior, James Trevalyan and his voice of crushed velvet. For years he hid his love, certain James could not, would not return it. And yet, once his latest dangerous mission as a dense associate to the evil Callisto Malossini, one of the chief principals of the London underworld, was done and he was back in the safety of NS3, he found himself helping James unravel the mystery of his sister Pamela's disappearance and even going after James when he vanished to the States and spending a wild night of passion with him. Then James vanished again. Would he come back? If so, would Tanner let himself believe that his James really cared after so many years of certainty that no man ever would care for him?
Word Count: 84845
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Summary: James Trevalyan, from a long line of men who served the Crown with their gift of a voice with compelling power, kept that tradition going while he loved and lived with Jeremy Waters. When Jeremy died in James's arms while they were on holiday in Rome, he resolved to live without love. But Jamie, his son from his brief marriage to an American; Pamela, his beloved little sister, caught in a loveless marriage to a cold, cruel man; and Tanner, his clever and handsome agent in a long-term undercover mission keep him connected to life and love. But will he finally realize that he and Tanner are meant for each other? And will Tanner be able to keep himself safe from the mobsters who don't know his identity but still want him silent because of his knowledge of their evil?
Word Count: 98812
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Quinton Mann and Mark Vincent are settling into a relationship that shouldn’t be possible. After all, Quinn is CIA, while Mark belongs to the WBIS, an agency labeled by others in the intelligence community as being staffed by sociopaths. Somehow, in spite of that, they seem to be making it work. Surprisingly, it isn’t work that separates them but family matters and a friend’s plea for help when his partner is kidnapped. Quinn is off to London, while Mark heads for Los Angeles to solve the kidnapping. Then Mark gets called to Paris by Femme of the Division, where things are not as they seem. Quinn, thinking to meet Mark in Paris, ends up coming to Mark's rescue. Back in the States, Mark fights taking time to recover from being shot while events are happening at the CIA that could endanger both Quinn and his best friend, DB. Between family, friends, and Mark, how will Quinn make the opportunity to talk to Mark about moving in together and even starting a family?
Word Count: 83614
Character Identities: Gay
Summary: Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann have finally kind of, sort of, exchanged promises. Mark has returned from an assignment on the West Coast, and he’s looking forward to spending some quality time with his lover. After all, it’s the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. What could be better than a little beer, a little corned beef on rye, and Quinn in his bed? However, on Monday it’s back to the grind—this time to an almost empty department: Matheson is away on assignment and Ms. Parker, Mark’s secretary, is taking sick time, something she never does. But these aren’t the only signs of something unusual, well, more unusual than normal, going on. Gradually, Mark uncovers a series of events going back to the previous spring and involving not only his senior special agent but Theo Bascopolis, a former rent boy who is Mark’s friend. While Mark unravels the threads of the Gordian knot the WBIS has become, he realizes how deep his feelings for Quinn have grown. But can a spy like Mark ever hope to be “the one” for a spook like Quinn?
Word Count: 41099
Character Identities: Bisexual, Lesbian
Summary: Terra is overcrowded, but a solution may have been found -- tucked away in Roswell is alien technology that leads to the creation of a method of space travel known as portaling . A party of soldiers and scientists led by Dr. Emma Bradley, Colonel John Berger, and Dr. Layton Tremayne are about to take what they believe is the first step into the unknown. But what they discover is not only a wonder but a puzzle. The city of Eden on the distant planet Nibiru has obvious Terran influences. Who was there before them? When Emma, John, and Layton return to Terra, they're dismayed to find things are even worse than they were when the trio left. The atmosphere is on the verge of toxicity and the population is reaching Malthusian proportions. Worse, there are plans afoot to portal the excess population off Terra to planets which may not be what their new inhabitants expect. Most won't survive. Then they learn that a platoon of soldiers were portaled to Eden for a planned invasion of Nibiru and the surrounding planets. Emma, John, and Layton scramble to stop the military action, but will they be able to take back the city that’s become their home?
Word Count: 104842
Character Identities: Bisexual, Lesbian
Summary: A linguistic genius, Portia Sebring is recruited to decipher Russian codes for the Venona Project. While at Arlington Hall, she meets Nigel Mann, a CIA officer known as Mr. Freeze. Portia’s father is behind the meeting. Rumor has it she’s a lesbian, and in the late ’50s, her sexuality could negate any veracity to the codes she deciphers. A match with an equally cold man who won’t distract her from her work seems the ideal solution. But Portia and Nigel develop strong feelings for each other and marry to start a family. However, the lifetime together they anticipate is cut short when Nigel’s jet crashes. Devastated, but with a young son depending on her, Portia has no choice but to go on after Nigel’s death. Her son Quinton joins the US Equestrian Team for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but doesn’t compete due to the government’s boycott of the Games. To distract him, Portia takes him to France, and it’s there that Quinton first feels an attraction for someone of his own sex. Since Portia herself had a same-sex affair in her early twenties, she’s very accepting of this. Along with her trusted bodyguard Gregor, she watches as Quinton finds a career in the intelligence community, following in her footsteps, and also finds a partner worthy of his love. She’s happy for her son, but sure that she won’t love again, since Sebrings have their “one” and she's lost hers. But is she right?
