Books by "Jeff Erno" (19)

Can a man improve his appearance without losing everything good inside him? 

Oliver has always been obese and suffered from a negative body image. He’s tried diets before, failing time after time, but he vows this time will be different. As he begins an exercise program, his confidence increases—and so does his interest in his friend and coworker Benjy. Though they bonded long ago over a love of online gaming, it takes a lot of courage for Oliver to share his new body and be intimate with another man. 

A passionate romance blooms, but as Oliver nears his goal, it seems he doesn’t need Benjy—with his chronic anxiety and troubled past—now that he’s made attractive new friends at the gym. But not all relationships are equal, and Oliver realizes that Benjy, who loved and supported him when no one else did, is more than a reminder of his old life. 

A pleasing appearance means nothing when it hides a lonely, empty heart, and if Oliver cannot decide what’s truly important, he’ll lose what he cherishes most.

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Love conquers all in these dramatic contemporary romances from Jeff Erno—Trust Me: Shawn believes that homosexuality is sinful, and a traumatic incident of childhood sexual abuse adds to his guilt and shame. Bobby has an image to maintain and flatly denies the possibility that his same-sex attractions even exist. When they finally connect, their preconceptions are suddenly dwarfed by what they feel for each other.—We Danced: For six years, Rex Payton has focused on two things: keeping his late father’s small-town Kentucky bar afloat and raising his nephew, Tyler. Enter Josh Billings, a veterinary student. Chance and an after-hours dance conspire to forge an intimate connection neither man looked for—one neither man can ignore after the dance leads to a kiss.—Choosing America's Next Superstar: In a cutthroat talent competition, Corey and Jimmy get off on the wrong foot. It doesn’t help that they seem to be complete opposites, both in terms of musical taste and personality. But when both make it through to the finals and become roommates, an unlikely romance blossoms.—Dumb Jock: In 1983, rural Michigan isn’t ready to embrace love between two men, never mind two teenage boys. If they’re going to make a go of it, Jeff will have to come out of his shell—and Brett will have to prove he’s more than just a dumb jock.

See excerpt for individual blurbs.

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Dumb Jock: Book Six

The final book in the Dumb Jock series brings us back to Jeff and Brett thirty-plus years after their “happily ever after.” Jeff, now a university professor, and Brett, CEO of a sporting equipment company, prepare to celebrate Brett’s fiftieth birthday. Suddenly, a devastating emergency derails all plans. Fear and unknown questions force the couple to look back on a lifetime of struggles as an openly gay couple just starting out in the 1980s. My Dumb Jock chronicles their life together, beginning after the sports banquet at the conclusion of book one, continuing through their college years, engagement, wedding, and the birth of their children. Together they shoulder homophobia and rejection and build their own family in the face of many crippling losses and temptations. This final book of the series brings together an entire cast of characters from five books, all connected by one remarkable couple. A couple not quite ready to say good-bye.

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Full Nelson: Book Three

Detective Chris Nelson faces another murder investigation. This time the victims are educators—a college professor and a high school teacher—and both are gay. Jared Bressman, the first victim, is found strangled in his apartment. A few days later, Stephen Hayes is found in his home, a victim of the same type of assault. Chris must piece together the clues to find a connection—if there is one—between the murders and stop the killer before he strikes again. Once he discovers that the killer also has a link to someone close to him, Chris races to beat the murderer to his final victim.

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Full Nelson: Book Two

When Detective Chris Nelson catches a police call at a gay bar, he finds a murdered drag queen in the alley behind the building. Andrew Brooks, the victim's co-worker at Bambi's, claims he found her. Because she is sprinkled in the same red glitter Andrew uses in his act, Nelson takes him in for questioning.

Forensics clear Andrew but reveal the victim was into hardcore kink. Following a trail of evidence, Nelson arrives at his next suspect: Andrew's brother. Todd Brooks is an avowed neo-Nazi racist homophobe, but Andrew is still devastated. After the near-mistake with Andrew, Nelson isn't ready to rush to judgment again. Taking his time, he digs deeper, intent on apprehending the actual murderer.

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Durante seis años, Rex Payton ha estado centrado en dos cosas: mantener a flote el bar de su difunto padre en un pequeño pueblo de Kentucky y en criar a su sobrino Ty. Tras la trágica pérdida de sus padres y su hermana, Rex no estaba interesado en el amor. Es respetado por sus vecinos, que le ven como el soltero de oro de Carlisle, pero ha aceptado que su vida no es propicia para tener una relación, sobre todo cuando aún no ha salido del armario.

Josh Billings es un estudiante de veterinaria que está haciendo unas prácticas en el pueblo. La mayor pasión de Josh es ayudar a los animales. El amor es una idea que no entra en su cabeza… hasta la noche en la que conoce al guapo y taciturno Rex Payton. La suerte y un baile a deshora, conspiran para dar lugar a una íntima conexión que ninguno de los dos buscaba, una conexión que ninguno de los dos podrá olvidar después de que el baile conduzca a un beso.

De repente, el amor no es algo tan insignificante pero surgen complicaciones. Para que la relación funcione, Josh tendrá que decidir si puede sobrellevar lo que supone salir con un padre soltero, Rex tiene que abrir su corazón y Ty tiene que aprender a compartir el afecto de su padre.

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Full Nelson: Book One

Detective Chris Nelson and his husband Ethan are about to go on a weekend getaway to celebrate their third wedding anniversary. Instead, a case comes in for Chris. The brutally murdered body of a swim coach at the local military academy was found in the pool. Seventeen-year-old cadet Alex has already confessed. It looks like an open and shut case.

However, when Chris interviews Alex and reviews the forensics, he becomes convinced Alex is innocent. Searching for the truth behind the actual murderer and why Alex would take the fall, Chris follows a trail through a series of students. He discovers they all experienced sexual abuse at the hands of the murdered swim coach. Digging deep, Chris finds further links between the school administration and the district attorney's office covering up the allegations. When he finally solves the case, it will blow the conspiracy wide open.

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Dumb Jock: Book Five

Rejected by his family for coming out, Bryan Helverson boards a plane for Tampa, Florida, where he plans to attend college. Brett and Jeff's family embrace him when he arrives, and his new “brothers,” Adam and Trevor, help him assimilate into the community.

While playing tennis with Trevor at the country club, Bryan meets aspiring pro tennis player Greg Lewis. But after a few minutes it’s easy to see the arrogant jock is not on Bryan’s menu, and he quickly dismisses the man. Forgetting he ever met Greg is not an option, though, when Bryan is hired as a waiter at the country club's restaurant, and Greg is assigned to train him. Unexpected romance blossoms just as Bryan discovers one of Greg's ex-boyfriends also works at the restaurant.

Greg is not the person Bryan first took him for, though. His true ambition is to become a doctor. And as their romance grows serious, Bryan discovers Greg’s mom suffers from the same debilitating depression that plagues Bryan. Unfortunately, just as Bryan is making giant strides with managing his depression, Greg’s ex—as manipulative as he is abusive—takes a battered Bryan back to point A and threatens to destroy his relationship with Greg.

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Per sei anni Rex Payton si è concentrato su due cose: mantenere a galla il bar che ha ereditato dal padre in una piccola città del Kentucky e crescere suo nipote, Tyler. Dopo la tragica perdita dei genitori e della sorella, Rex non è interessato all’amore. È rispettato nella sua comunità ed è considerato fra gli scapoli più desiderabili di Carlisle, ma ha accettato che la sua vita non sia destinata a una relazione romantica, considerate soprattutto la sua riservatezza e la sua omosessualità.

Fa il suo ingresso sulla scena Josh Billings, uno studente di veterinaria che sta facendo tirocinio in città. La passione più profonda di Josh è aiutare gli animali. L’amore è quanto di più lontano ci sia dalla sua mente… fino alla notte in cui incontra il taciturno, bellissimo Rex Payton. Il caso e un ballo lento dopo l’orario di chiusura cospirano per forgiare un’intima connessione che nessuno dei due cercava, ma che nessuno dei due può ignorare, perché quel lento porta dritto a un bacio.

Improvvisamente l’amore non è più così insignificante, ma nemmeno senza complicazioni. Affinché questa relazione funzioni, Josh dovrà decidere se se la sente di uscire con un papà single, Rex dovrà aprire il suo cuore, e Ty dovrà imparare a condividere con un’altra persona l’affetto di suo padre.

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William Austin has always wanted to be a nurse, though he’s no longer sure the gratification is worth the pain of losing a patient. For now, he’s a nursing student and works two jobs—barista and private nurse. Will meets Blaine Coventry at the coffee shop, and when the altruistic young attorney offers him a job caring for his Uncle Elliot, Will accepts. Will finds that Elliot’s stroke has left him unable to walk or talk, and Elliot's husband, James, says the goal is to keep Elliot comfortable until he passes. But Will starts rehabilitation, and his patient soon begins to make progress. When James resists, Will realizes something isn’t right, and investigates. Then he discovers a chilling secret that threatens to forever change Will's life... or perhaps end it.

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Dumb Jock: Book Four

Evan Drake needs to be a role model to his younger brother Brandon, and although he’s a star on his high school basketball team, there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s interested in many things, including drama and singing, and when he joins drama club, he meets Noah Sheridan, and he’s pretty interested in him, too.

Noah is a super smart, cute but nerdy kid who has written a high school play about two gay students who attended Boyne City High twenty years ago, and who, in real life, fell in love with each other. When the drama department elects to use the play for their high school musical, Noah urges Evan to audition for the lead role. Evan ultimately decides he wants to be in the play, but when he shows up to audition, it sends shockwaves throughout the school. His teammates are furious, and so is his best friend Bryan. As Evan and Noah grow closer, Bryan gets more traitorous, and it seems he wants nothing more than to see his former friend broken down.

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Dumb Jock: Book Three

At age sixteen, Todd Hoffman is a social outcast. He lives with his mother in a rundown mobile home and doesn’t wear the nice clothes or drive fancy cars like the other students. He has one outlet: he secretly writes fan fiction about a boy falling in love with another boy he’s crushing on, and posts it online.

When Galen Caulfield, Todd’s real life object of affection, notices him and asks him out, Todd feels like he’s living his fantasy. Soon enough he realizes that fantasy and reality are two very different propositions.

Galen is the high school soccer team captain, clearly out of Todd’s league. On top of that, he’s popular, good-looking, and confident, so everyone thinks he’s straight. Now it’s up to Todd to decide whether Galen is the boy of his dreams or just another dumb jock.

2nd Edition
First Edition published by Amazon Digital Services, Aug 24, 2012.

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Sequel to Dumb Jock
Dumb Jock: Book Two

Jeff Irwin and Brett Willson raised a fine son, Adam, in their unconventional, judgment-free family. But being the son of two dads has its challenges. Although Adam loves them, he’s determined to prove he’s not gay, like they are. To this end he’s become the star pitcher of his high school baseball team, a true jock.

Then Adam is suspended after he gets into a fight at school, and his dads find out his grades are slipping. Determined to put him back on track, they hire him a tutor: a short, nerdy kid named Trevor. Despite his resistance, soon enough Adam’s worst nightmare comes true when he finds himself attracted to Trevor. This gives him a choice: follow his heart or become just another dumb jock.

2nd Edition
First Edition published by CreateSpace, January 2012.

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Dumb Jock: Book One

Jeff Irwin is short, timid, and studious. A bit of a social outcast, he lives quietly in the shadows of the popular kids at his school, his life ruled by his ever-present fear of rejection or failure.

Enter high school football hero Brett Willson and the chance for Jeff to embark upon the challenge of educating the world’s dumbest jock.

But what develops between Brett and Jeff proves far more challenging than any tutoring session. In 1983, rural Michigan isn’t ready to embrace love between two men, never mind two teenage boys. If they’re going to make a go of it, Jeff will have to come out of his shell—and Brett will have to prove he’s more than just a dumb jock.

2nd Edition
First Edition published by Xlibris, February 2009.

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A Harmony Ink Press Title

High school junior Wesley Harris is a stereotypical shy, soft-spoken nerd. He is obsessed with crafts and art and doesn’t even need to come out of the closet to become the target of antigay bullying. Though he has the support of close friends and liberal-minded mother, he finds it hard to believe in himself.

Brad Johnson, Wesley’s new neighbor, is Wesley’s age—and his complete opposite. A popular jock and hero of the school’s baseball team, Brad has an outgoing personality and a reputation as a ladies’ man. When he and Wesley are alone, away from their classmates’ scrutiny, they become friends despite their differences. But when Wesley confesses to wanting more than friendship, Brad walks away, unwilling to risk their romance being exposed.

Though devastated, Wesley resigns himself to accept that they were never meant to be. The next time he runs afoul of bullies, school counseling empowers him to report them. Encouraged by his new confidence, he decides to attend the school dance and face Brad….

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A Harmony Ink Press Title

Every day, all over the country, teenagers struggle with the realities of bullying. Tormented, ridiculed, and beaten—simply for being who they are—these teens face alienation, humiliation, and even the explicit assertion that they have somehow brought this upon themselves, that they should just blend in. Bullied is a series of short stories exploring the world of these teens from several different viewpoints: the victim, the bully, the gay bystander, the straight friend, the concerned parent.

Closeted Bryan wonders why Christian Michaelson doesn't just try to blend in if he hates being bullied so much. Star athlete David isn't a homophobe—after all, he's not afraid of anything. Jonathan, a Christian fundamentalist, must weigh the Bible against peer pressure and what he knows is right when he discovers his childhood friend is gay. Bully victim Chase Devereaux finds an unexpected ally in a brave fellow student. A single mom struggles to accept the reality that her only son is gay. Two tough gay teens are forced to confront their own inner demons when tragedy befalls a classmate they failed to help. And overweight Kirby finds the strength of character to make a friend, which leads to a lifestyle change and a chance at love. Each character grows as an individual as he or she comes to terms with what it means to be a gay teenager in America.

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For years, eighteen-year-old Corey Dunham has been a die-hard fan of the reality show and nationwide talent competition Choosing America’s Next Superstar. Now he finally has his chance to show off his natural ability and perfect pitch—not to mention meet other talented young musicians like Jimmy Sawyer, a country crooner from Kentucky.

In the cutthroat audition round, Corey and Jimmy get off on the wrong foot. It doesn’t help that they seem to be complete opposites, both in terms of musical taste and personality. But when both make it through to the finals and become roommates, an unlikely romance blossoms.

Reality show dating is nearly impossible. Corey worries that the competition itself could spell the end for them. At any time, voting results could send one of them home and force a separation. And one of the judges wants Corey for himself and will do anything to get Jimmy off the show. Can Corey and Jimmy win each other’s heart, regardless of who wins the show?

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For six years, Rex Payton has focused on two things: keeping his late father’s small-town Kentucky bar afloat and raising his nephew, Tyler. After the tragic loss of his parents and sister, Rex has no interest in romance. He’s respected in his community and regarded as one of Carlisle’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s accepted that his life isn’t conducive to a romantic relationship, especially as a closeted gay man.

Enter Josh Billings, a veterinary student who’s serving an internship in town. Josh’s deepest passion is helping animals. Romance is the furthest thing from his mind… until the night he meets taciturn, handsome Rex Payton. Chance and an after-hours dance conspire to forge an intimate connection neither man looked for—one neither man can ignore after the dance leads to a kiss.

Suddenly romance isn’t so insignificant, but it’s also not without complications. For this relationship to work, Josh has to decide if he can cope with dating a single dad, Rex has to open his heart, and Ty has to learn to share his dad’s affection.

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