Contemporary Romance books

A Tale from St. Giles

Family can be a blessing and a curse, but for artist Florian, it’s a nightmare he longs to escape.

As chief designer for Bartholomew Artist Porcelain, Florian specializes in painting birds. He also watches them in the wild to distract himself from his short-tempered mother, at least temporarily. Florian’s heart is too soft to leave his stepsister, Ella, to suffer alone. Still, he can’t help dreaming about one day finding happiness and love.

When Count Dieter von Hollenbach arrives in town to visit a friend and present an award, he isn’t looking for romance. Then again, he doesn’t expect someone as perfect as Florian to come into his life. To make sure Florian is all he seems and that their connection is genuine, Dieter keeps his title to himself.

But he isn’t the only one with a secret.

At a masquerade ball to celebrate the award, some of the masks fall away, but those that remain in place could destroy the love beginning to grow between them.

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2nd Edition

A Balls to the Wall Romance

A "pumped up" version of the Volley Balls story, twice as long as the original.

 A double dose of alpha male might be better than one.

Despite just getting out of an abusive relationship with an asshole alpha, David Underwood’s wandering glance lands on two hot members of the Australian volleyball team on Laguna Beach and gets him harassed again. Still, when the delicious Gareth Marshall proves his interest by coming out to his team, David succumbs to his attraction. But Gareth’s volleyball partner, Edge, who’s equally hot, makes the lovers’ lives miserable.

For Gareth, a lifetime of hiding his orientation—and his attraction—from his best friend, Edge, as well as everyone else around him, adds up to hurt and frustration. David’s the first man to ever compete with Edge for Gareth’s passion. But Edge has secrets of his own, and David’s ex-lover will never be happy without David under his fist. With everything stacked against him, can a gay Laguna man find happiness with an alpha male–or two?

First Edition published by Etopia Press, 2011.

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Bad in Baltimore: Book One

Some things are sweeter than revenge.

“I need a boyfriend.”

Hearing those words from his very straight, very ex-best friend doesn’t put Nate in a helpful mood. Not only did Kellan Brooks’s father destroy Nate’s family in his quest for power, but Kellan broke Nate’s heart back in high school. Nate thought he could trust his best friend with the revelation that he might be gay, only to find out he was horribly wrong and become the laughingstock of the whole school. Kellan must be truly desperate if he’s turning to Nate now.

Kellan’s through letting his father run his life, and he wants to make the man pay for cutting him off. What better way to stick it to the bigot than to come out as gay himself—especially with the son of the very man his father crushed on his quest for money and power. Kellan can’t blame Nate for wanting nothing to do with him, though. Kellan will have to convince him to play along, but it’s even harder to convince himself that the heat between them is only an act....

Second Edition

First Edition published by Samhain Publishing Inc. June 2011.

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À toute vitesse : L’amour n’attend pas.

Patch Hastle a grandi vite, abandonnant sans un regard en arrière son Texas natal pour New York afin de se faire un nom comme DJ et mannequin. Lorsque ses parents meurent de façon brutale, il retourne chez lui afin de vider la ferme familiale avec l’intention de déguerpir le plus vite possible. C’était sans compter sur le testament qui laisse la direction de la ferme à son pire ennemi : le magnifique meilleur ami de son père qui a fait de ses années de lycée un enfer. 

Tucker Biggs tourne en rond. Vingt ans après sa carrière dans le rodéo, il s’enracine dans son rôle de gardien de la ferme des Hastle. Il sait que le fils « je sais tout » de son ami le déteste toujours, mais lorsque Patch apparaît plus mature, ressemblant à un péché sur pattes dans un jean moulant, Tucker transforme son retour en leçon sur les vieux singes à qui on n’apprend pas à faire la grimace. 

Patch et Tucker batifolent, mais ils ne sont pas dupes. Lorsque la ferme sera vendue, ils comptent en rester là et prendre des chemins séparés. Avec le temps qui passe, la vie du citadin et du campagnard traditionaliste s’entremêle. S’ils veulent que cela dure plus longtemps que la neige au soleil, ils feraient mieux de comprendre ce qui est important – et vite.

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Un libro della serie Il curioso ricettario di Nonna B

Boone Walton ce l’ha messa tutta per mettere un po’ di distanza tra lui e il suo passato. Ha investito nella sua nuova vita, nella sua galleria d’arte a New Orleans e nella sua amicizia con Scott Wren. Tutto sembra sistemato e Boone non potrebbe essere più felice della ritrovata normalità.

Lo chef Scott Wren vuole qualcosa di più della semplice normalità con Boone. Vuole far fare un passo avanti al loro rapporto, ma l’amico è spaventato, e non a causa dei fantasmi che infestano l’appartamento di Scott o della sua famiglia. No, il passato di Boone sta per fargli visita, e l’unica cosa che potrebbe mettersi tra lui, Scott e la strana ricetta di una mousse al cioccolato trovata in un curioso ricettario è il fiume di sofferenza che Boone ha dovuto attraversare per arrivare a New Orleans. C’è però un segreto dietro agli ingredienti, un segreto che potrebbe far emergere la verità e l’amore che sono sempre mancati nella vita di Boone. 

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High school best friends Toby Billings and Jim Maverick went their separate ways after graduation. Five years later, they meet by chance. Toby needs a ride, and Jim offers to give him one.

During a journey across several states, with stops at roadside diners, state parks, and cheap motels, small talk turns to serious discussions of lives that didn’t turn out the way either of them dreamed. Their choices are catching up to them, and neither is on an innocent summer vacation. Renewing their friendship will mean painful admissions and secrets coming to light. Yet they discover they have more in common now than they ever guessed, and going their separate ways at the trip’s end won’t be easy.

After aimlessly wandering the country, all roads lead back home. But first they must decide what home means.

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A Hockey Hearts Book

Hometown hero. Hockey superstar. Perfect boyfriend?

When hockey star Caleb Carter returns to his hometown to recover from an injury, the only thing he’s interested in is a little R & R. He never expects to run into his onetime crush at a grade school fund-raiser . Seeing Aaron Price hits him hard, like being checked into the boards. The attraction is still there, even after all these years, and Caleb decides to make a play for the schoolteacher. You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take, right?

Aaron has been burned by love before and can’t imagine what a celebrity like Caleb could possibly see in a guy like him. Their differences are just too great. But as Aaron spends more time with Caleb, he begins to wonder if he might have what it takes to win the hockey player’s heart.

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Ein Titel der Herzenssachen Serie

Trevor ist ein umwerfend attraktiver Mann und der erfolgreiche Besitzer einer Kette von Autowerkstätten. Er ist gewöhnt, im Mittelpunkt der Aufmerksamkeit zu stehen, bewundert zu werden und zu bekommen, was er will. Vor allem sind das leidenschaftliche Affären ohne Bindung mit Männern, die er in Clubs kennenlernt. Das erwartet er auch, als er James begegnet. Entsprechend groß ist sein Erstaunen, als dieser sich von Trevors unwiderstehlichem Charme völlig unbeeindruckt zeigt. Trevor muss seine Gewohnheiten über Bord werfen und mit James auf einer anderen Ebene in Kontakt treten. Das beginnt damit, dass er anbietet, James nach Hause zu bringen, statt ihn mit seinem zugedröhnten Begleiter fahren zu lassen.

Nachdem James als Kind sein Augenlicht verloren hat, sind seine Möglichkeiten der sozialen Interaktion stark eingeschränkt. Er verbringt den Großteil seiner Zeit mit der Arbeit an einer Blindenschule. Trevors Welt ist ihm fremd. Er hat sich seine Unabhängigkeit schwer erkämpft und auch er weiß, was er will. In diesem Fall bedeutet das, dass er seine Komfortzone verlassen und Trevors Herz erobern muss.

Trevor ist bereit, es zur Abwechslung mit wahrer Liebe und Hingabe zu versuchen. Doch bevor er der Mann werden kann, den James braucht, muss er sich erst den Schatten seiner Vergangenheit stellen.

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A Pennymaker Tale

Wendell “Wen” Darling lives in a world of shoulds and musts. Left to care for his brother and sister by his dull drudge of a father and wacko irresponsible mother, he suppresses his creativity, slaving in an ad agency seventy hours a week, letting his no-talent supervisor take the credit.

Then his bosses blow the campaign for their biggest client and Wen gets a chance to shine—but only if he can find the artist who painted a wild, glorious wall of graffiti in the subway. Hiding behind a pillar at 2:00 a.m., Wen comes face-to-face with the scarlet-haired, elven-faced embodiment of his divergent opposite—Peter Panachek, the flighty, live-for-today painter, singer, and leader of the rock group the Lost Boys. Everything Wen takes seriously, Peter laughs off, but opposites attract, even if their kisses always lead to battles. Peter’s devil-may-care persona hides a world of secrets, self-protection, and hidden fears, until the day a drug dealer, Vadon Hooker, threatens everything Wen holds dear. Guided by the mysterious Mr. Pennymaker, Peter has to choose between facing responsibility or burrowing even deeper into Neverland.

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Clay and Elliott are working toward a dream—working sixty-hour weeks for one of the oil companies that recently sprung up in North Dakota. The pay is good, but is it a fair trade for never seeing each other? The point becomes moot when the company folds, like so many others, and the couple is left with a difficult choice.

Should they find comparable work somewhere else, or is it time to throw caution to the wind and go after their goal—years earlier than they intended?

What they’ve always wanted is to be together and have time to enjoy it, so they follow their hearts. They’re going off the grid and fixing up an old cabin so they can be self-sufficient. But when they go from all the conveniences of the modern world to outhouses, solar power, a shoestring budget, and more mosquitos than they ever thought possible, will they find there’s such a thing as too much time together?

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

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Jamie Stevens est criblé de dettes, mais en se rendant à la bibliothèque ce jour-là, il ne s’attendait absolument pas à tomber sur un bon samaritain lui proposant comme par magie de régler tous ses problèmes d’argent.

Au début, bien sûr, Jamie est méfiant, qui ne le serait pas ? Mais très vite, il réalise que Guy, son bienfaiteur, est simplement un homme riche et foncièrement bon, qui s’est fait la promesse d’aider son prochain. Il s’avère également que Guy est gay, mais cela n’a pas d’importance, et de toute façon, Jamie n’est pas intéressé. Du moins… c’est ce qu’il croit.

De son côté, Guy est simplement heureux de pouvoir venir en aide au jeune Jamie, d’autant plus que le courant passe tout de suite très bien entre eux. Mais à mesure qu’ils passent du temps ensemble, le regard de Guy sur le jeune homme commence à changer, et petit à petit, ce qui était censé n’être qu’une bonne action prend des airs de romance… 

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A single moment—or a single mistake—can change everything.

When Captain James Lee Hooker and his lover, Sergeant Easy Jacobs, were in the Army, they made a mistake that got a young soldier hurt. Three years later, they’re civilians again, living far apart, haunted by what they lost. Now that young soldier needs their help.

With his grandmother’s one-eyed Chihuahua riding shotgun, James Lee climbs into Easy’s pickup for a trip across the American Southwest. They set out to rescue a friend, but their journey transforms them with the power of forgiveness.

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Music speaks directly to the heart.

Two very different men face turning points in their lives after the collapse of long-term relationships….

Joel is a music teacher who knows it’s time to forget his ex and move on, while Marcus runs a lawn-mowing business and has come to Wellington to escape the reminders of a recent breakup. Although they’re opposites, when Joel and Marcus connect, their romance has the potential to hit all the right notes.

Too bad neither of them feels ready for new love.

With family and friends in common, dating is risky—things could get messy if it doesn’t work out. The sweet song of possibility draws them to each other, though, and they share a kiss following a Chopin prelude. But it will take some practice and perseverance to find their perfect harmony….

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Male escort Rye Bellamy is looking for a way out. Any way out. He’s getting older, and clients are getting more dangerous. If he doesn’t find something better, he knows he won’t survive.

He sees his chance in Marcus Townsend, a functionally blind Army veteran. Marcus, who refuses to accept his condition as immutable, has a shot at seeing a specialist who might be able to help him—but that doctor’s based on the other side of the country.

When Rye and Marcus meet, they realize they can help each other. Marcus can’t drive, but Rye can. Marcus knows what Rye is, but he likes him anyway. In fact, he more than likes him. Driving cross-country with a near stranger is a daunting task, but Rye’s biggest risk is falling for the gentle, stubborn-hearted soldier—and it might already be too late to stop that.

They plan to part ways when they reach their destination, but plans change as the affection between them grows. Now neither wants their journey to end, but continuing means finding a way to bridge the distance between who they were and who they'd like to become.

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Home, love, and possibilities he never imagined are waiting for Billy Joe to claim them. But first he needs to escape the horrors of his past.

A twisted act of cruelty and prejudice drives Billy Joe from his Mississippi home, and he makes it as far as Pennsylvania—where his car breaks down just as the year’s first snowstorm blows in. Fortunately, Carlos is there to lend a hand.

Carlos is no stranger to hardship. His family rejected him for being gay, but with determination, he put himself through school and became a librarian. Carlos sees the same willpower in Billy, and he wants to help Billy and his son succeed in a new life that is very different from the one they left behind. With his support, they start to adjust, and before long, both men want more than encouragement from each other. They want the chance for a future together, but their families have other ideas… and Billy’s will stop at nothing to get what they want.

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Second from The Vault

Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.

The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day. 

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Seguito di Sporchi segreti
Un'indagine di Cole McGinnis

Per Cole McGinnis, ex poliziotto diventato investigatore privato, ogni giorno presenta una nuova sfida che spesso comporta, purtroppo, sofferenza e morte. Claudia, la segretaria che gli fa da madre, si sta ancora riprendendo da un colpo d’arma da fuoco, mentre il suo ragazzo Kim Jae-Min, non ancora dichiarato, di punto in bianco si trova a dover ospitare la sorella adolescente. Nel frattempo, Cole affronta i suoi problemi di famiglia, in particolare quel misterioso fratellastro giapponese che il suo fratello maggiore, Mike, è deciso ad accogliere a braccia aperte.

Come se i suoi drammi personali non bastassero, Cole viene avvicinato da Madame Sun, un’indovina i cui clienti stanno morendo a una velocità allarmante. Lei è convinta che qualcuno li stia uccidendo e vuole che siano svolte delle indagini al riguardo, ma la polizia pensa che si stia immaginando tutto. Cole accetta il caso nella speranza di tranquillizzarla, ma si trova davanti a un nodo gordiano di menzogne e tradimenti in cui nessuno è chi dovrebbe essere, e la morte sembra l’unica carta presente nel mazzo dell’indovina.

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