Romantic Suspense books

Kevin Derocher was thirty-two when he walked into Tom’s office, newly married, a baby on the way, and the collar of his red flannel shirt pulled up to hide the bruises around his throat from when he hanged himself in his garage. After his initial consult, therapist Tom Langois believes he’ll never see Kevin again—but Kevin turns up three years later to make repairs on Tom’s new house.

Kevin and Tom become fast friends, and Tom begins to suspect Kevin may be interested in more than friendship. However, Kevin remains haunted by something from his childhood—something so terrible he blocked it from his mind. These suppressed memories make it impossible for Kevin to get close to anyone without panicking and lashing out, sometimes violently. But as his past begins to surface, it becomes apparent that Kevin may hold the key to a twenty-five-year-old mystery: what happened to Billy?

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Sequel to The General and the Horse-Lord
The General and the Horse-Lord: Book Two

Fresh out of the closet, General John Mitchel and Gabriel Sanchez are settling into their new life together when an old army colleague taps them for a rescue mission to Tunisia. Eli and Daniel, two former Rangers working security, have been arrested in Carthage, charged with blasphemy and thrown into prison.

With rampant unrest in the ancient city and an old enemy targeting them, John gathers a team to liberate the two captive men. When he discovers Eli’s boyhood obsession with Al-Jazari’s Elephant Clock, the rescue becomes complicated and strangely beautiful, and John and Gabriel have to risk what they love the most to bring their team home.

Second Edition
First Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, October 2013

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Sequel to Scratch & Sniff
No More Heroes: Book Three

Since coming to the small Arkansas town of Shove Point, superhero Push, his partner Scratch, and rehabilitated villain Wrath have encountered more than their share of problems: planes destroying the downtown area, the crushing force of giant robots, and the wrath of supervillains, to name a few. Just when life looks to be slowing down, the team finds itself facing a full-scale alien invasion.

Despite help from their friends Professor Trixter, Scarlet Queen, and Wiccan Witch, Shove Point has been cut off from the rest of civilization by otherworldly hostiles who have unleashed a new batch of horrors on its citizenry. But these surmounting obstacles are nothing to Push compared to the wars of his heart.

Fresh friction has spread within the group. Push's attraction to Wrath reaches a new high. The world may be ending, but Push would rather face that than lose the man he loves... if only he can work out just which man that is.

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Precious Gems: Book Three
Sequel to Italian Ice

Gay-romance writer Trent Copeland finds his life in a rut while his boyfriend, Special Agent Reed Acton, is away on an undercover mission. After attending a special course at FBI headquarters in Quantico, Trent’s eager for another challenge. He jumps at the opportunity for a trip to Japan to oversee appraisals of two art collections to be sold at the gallery he co-owns. But the trip isn’t all cherry blossoms and Hello Kitty. When one of the collectors he meets—rumored to be the head of a Yakuza gang—turns up dead, Trent is accused of the murder and thrown in jail.

Reed drops everything to help find out who really committed the crime. He's in unknown territory in Japan, forced to navigate Tokyo’s sex underworld to unravel the truth and save Trent. He poses as a “host” at a seedy late-night club. When Reed’s undercover activities place him at a ruthless Yakuza leader’s sex party, he must be willing to go to any lengths to secure Trent’s safety and freedom. But trusting the wrong people brings both Reed and Trent to the Yakuza leader’s attention. If they’re ever to have a happy ever after, they’ll first have to call on every skill just to stay alive.

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The Wheel Mysteries: Book One

Magic is in the air when Gus Goodwin, a pagan shopkeeper and owner of the Four Corners’ occult shop, meets a Niall Valentine, a mysterious PI investigating the disappearance of a local witch named Joy. What starts out as harmless flirting and information gathering soon turns into a partnership, with both men determined to solve the case.

Then bodies begin to pile up. Someone is using fire and water to kill witches associated with Joy, and it is up to Niall and Gus to find out what’s going on. But when their friendship blossoms into something else, the unknown dangers looming ahead become even more frightening. If they can’t solve the murders soon, they’re going to get themselves killed.

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In the frigid winter of 1891, with the nation still reeling from the Barings bank crisis, Inspector Philemon Raft returns from an involuntary sabbatical, tasked with solving the kidnapping of highly placed peer Miriam Dewberry. Thrust into a sordid underworld where the upper classes indulge in disreputable overseas investments designed to fatten their pocketbooks, Raft finds himself at loose ends without his companion, Constable Freddie Crook. Far from offering their help, the ton use every asset at their disposal to keep Raft from discovering the truth about hapless kidnap victim Miriam Dewberry—who may not even exist.

Soon Raft discovers that his old nemesis, the workhouse master John Gallant, has returned to London. Gallant doesn’t say what he wants—but he knows enough to ruin Raft's career and even his life. Raft tries to solve the case with his usual strange insight, but there are other, darker forces at work. This is a frightened London: the London of Whitechapel, of Jack the Ripper, the London of poverty, dirt and despair, where a right turn down the wrong alley could earn Raft a swift trip to the morgue.

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Now eighteen, Cale Holland and Zeb Meadows have been best friends since they were freshmen in high school, and Zeb has been in love with Cale most of that time. While returning to their hometown after a trip to the state capital, Cale realizes his feelings for Zeb are growing beyond friendship, and Zeb is ecstatic to finally have a chance at romance with Cale.

On their trip, Cale is mysteriously drawn into the nearby countryside. He discovers a lake so beautiful, his father buys the surrounding property to build a residential development—despite rumors that the area is haunted—and soon after, Cale and Zeb return to the lake on a weekend camping trip to unwind and explore their feelings for each other.

But the haunting of the lake is more than a rumor. In the process of developing the land, Cale’s father accidentally frees an invisible entity that feeds on the energy of living creatures… and Cale and Zeb find themselves in a fight for their lives as they are stalked by the soul-devouring Haint.

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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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Stranded: Book Two
A Spin-off of Stranded

On the day he and Roman Capanelli were to be married, Malik Stevens wakes up in a small room with very little light. Time must be passing, because a door opens from time to time and food is left for him—that’s his only connection to the outside world. Roman is a choreographer on Broadway, and he’s waiting for Malik at the park with all their friends, ready to start their marriage ceremony. When Malik doesn’t show up, Roman is nearly heartbroken thinking he’s been left at the altar. But soon he understands that Malik hasn’t stood him up, he’s been taken.

Desperate and determined, Roman begins searching for clues to aid the police. Then, when Malik escapes, the couple continues the search until they ferret out the culprit, and in the process open up a box of secrets. An orphan who grew up in a foster home, Malik knows his father was a serial killer and his mother died of grief and shame after his father was convicted. Now it seems some of his parents’ skeletons still hang in the family closet. But was Malik’s kidnapping meant to uncover those secrets or to hide them forever?

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A Lifting the Veil Story

When PI Sam Garrett is hired by eccentric billionaire toy maker and child genius Mozart "Mo" Chance—after his apparent suicide in the hills of San Francisco—Sam takes the case out of sheer curiosity. In a world where the Veil lifted a decade ago and exposed mythical beings living among humans, Sam faces a big challenge as the mystery surrounding the case deepens.

The inheritors of Mo’s fortune—the uncle, the butler, the nanny, and the bodyguard—all possess secrets, and some are willing to protect them at any cost. The trouble is that Sam’s partner and lover, Rex Ford, is suddenly under suspicion as well.

Clouded by doubt, Sam continues to search for answers as tapestries of crimes begin to unravel and powers beyond his imagination are unleashed. If Mo endured horrific nightmares about monsters under his bed, there’s no telling what dangers await a nosy PI. What dangers lurk in this darkness? Sam is about to find out.

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Sequel to Animal Instinct
A Duncan Andrews Thriller

Duncan Andrews, a private detective who specializes in paranormal cases, is back, along with his usual gang. Robbie Church, his boyfriend, is a ghost. Gina, a centuries old witch, is his best friend. And Daisy, Duncan's bulldog, just happens to be a zombie. Odd man out seems to be Nick, a history teacher. He’s a normal, living human.

Duncan's latest case leads him to a rock band in Indianapolis called The Scarlet Tide. It doesn't take Duncan long to realize all of the band members are vampires. He sets out to destroy them, but runs into trouble with the charismatic leader of the band, Dominic Hunt. Duncan ends up under Hunt's psychic control, and is forced to examine his relationships with Robbie and Nick, as well as his attraction for Hunt. Can Robbie and Gina help Duncan break Hunt’s psychic grip? Is there any hope the vampire can be destroyed once and for all?

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La víspera de su boda, Zander Walsh, sus padres y su prometido son disparados cuando interrumpen un misterioso robo al volver a casa. Después de tres semanas en coma, Zander se despierta y descubre que es el único superviviente. Su vida perfecta se hace añicos en un instante.

El atractivo agente del FBI, Jake Elliot, está investigando el caso y no tardará en detener al asesino que, sin embargo, escapa fácilmente. Tras seis meses de investigación, Zander y Jake descubren que están siendo saboteados por el propio FBI…, y que la amistad que han forjado está empezando a convertirse en algo más fuerte.

Pero cuando se embarcan en un viaje para detener al asesino por segunda vez, descubrirán que aquella noche terrible escondía mucho más que un intento fallido de robo. ¿Es posible que los grandes negocios y el mundo de la política sean capaces de encubrir la verdad, o tal vez los intentos de Zander y Jake por resolver el misterio marcarán el final de su nuevo amor y de sus vidas?

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In 1942, Pearl Harbor has been bombed and the war is very much in evidence, but it would seem to have little to do with Frank Boyle, a respected Bronx born insurance investigator. He's a man who can keep secrets, and no one suspects that his boyhood friend—local mob boss Nicky Brooks—is his lover. When Brooks accidentally kills Frank's younger brother in a shootout, Frank must choose between his affair with Nicky and revenge for his brother's life.

After Frank betrays Nicky, police detective Sam Lipinski, a Bronx native who has long carried a torch for Frank, makes a move against the mob and lands squarely in the way of Nicky's plans. Sam smuggles Frank out of New York to keep him safe, and sets him up him in a small northeastern city. But there, a messy insurance investigation involving the Roarkes, who may or may not have killed their own mother for the insurance payout, places him in danger again. Dodging bullets, shady characters, and fallout from the war, Sam and Frank will need far more than luck on their side if they’re ever to see a loving future.

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Daryl Maven and Adam Rossi are comfortable in their relationship, but they can’t agree on whether to marry. Daryl, a law student who teaches college English part-time, wants to wait until gay marriage is recognized in their home state. Adam, also a student, doesn’t want to wait for any reason before making that ultimate commitment.

Everything changes when Daryl is brutally assaulted. Withdrawn and paranoid, he becomes so fixated on finding his attacker that his obsession threatens his bond with Adam. Adam’s commitment will truly be tested as he endeavors to support Daryl, but unless Daryl heals his emotional wounds, their relationship—marriage or not—can’t survive.

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Changing Moon: Book Two

Lance Fitz and Andrew Reed are a blissfully mated pair, but Andrew’s benefactor Stephon, a born vampire, isn’t happy with the pairing, especially after he discovers Lance’s pedigree. Stephon attempts to find answers using his mental connection with Andrew, and when his efforts fail, he goes after Lance’s new shifter family. Enraged, Lance severs the tie to Stephon. He wants to tear apart the abusive vampire and free his mate and family for good. But before he can try, the family reminds Lance that the death of one vampire won't change the social status of shifters as an enslaved people. The fight won’t end with Stephon, even if Lance succeeds.

2nd Edition
First Edition published by Silver Publishing, 2012.

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August Adahy Mendez would rather be buried in the world of his detective novels or a good film noir movie than in real life. He’s overweight, undermotivated, and stuck in a dead-end job. As a Chincha, he’s part of a long line of chinchilla shifters, but the greatest accomplishment in his life so far has been moving an hour away from his close-knit herd. That all changes when August’s grandfather leaves him enough cash to pursue his dream: becoming a detective himself.

Sam Ewing is a bitter divorcé who enjoys watching football and being alone. It’s easier when his only interaction with people is when he collects rent from his office building tenants. Then August rents space from him to set up his new detective agency, and Sam is drawn to him despite his misgivings.

Sam soon finds himself involved with one of August’s cases, and the men join forces to catch their criminal. The greater challenges they face, however, are how August makes Sam want to give love a second try and how Sam makes August believe that real life might be even better than fiction.

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Sequel to Sinner's Gin
Sinners Series: Book Two

He was dead. And it was murder most foul. If erasing a man’s existence could even be called murder.

When Damien Mitchell wakes, he finds himself without a life or a name. The Montana asylum’s doctors tell him he’s delusional and his memories are all lies: he’s really Stephen Thompson, and he’d gone over the edge, obsessing about a rock star who died in a fiery crash. His chance to escape back to his own life comes when his prison burns, but a gunman is waiting for him, determined that neither Stephen Thompson nor Damien Mitchell will escape.

With the assassin on his tail, Damien flees to the City by the Bay, but keeping a low profile is the only way he’ll survive as he searches San Francisco for his best friend, Miki St. John. Falling back on what kept him fed before he made it big, Damien sings for his supper outside Finnegan’s, an Irish pub on the pier, and he soon falls in with the owner, Sionn Murphy. Damien doesn’t need a complication like Sionn, and to make matters worse, the gunman—who doesn’t mind going through Sionn or anyone else if that’s what it takes kill Damien—shows up to finish what he started.

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When small-time thief Timmy Harwell recklessly “borrows” a Cadillac for a joyride, he doesn’t expect to find a cool $100,000 in the trunk. His elation turns to terror when he realizes the SUV and the dough belong to Miguel Garcia, aka El Poco, a Tijuana drug dealer with a nasty reputation. Timmy sees only one way out: leave the stolen car behind and run as fast as he can.

His getaway is cut short when a storm strands him outside Jasper Stone’s secluded mountain cabin. Jasper finds Timmy in his shed, unconscious and burning up with fever, and takes care of the younger man, nursing him back to health. The two begin to grow close, but Jasper, a writer who seeks only solitude, is everything Timmy isn’t. Straightforward, honest, and kind.

Timmy needs Jasper’s help—and wants his respect—so he hides his dishonest habits. But when El Poco comes after him, Timmy realizes he’s not the only one at risk. His actions have also put Jasper in harm’s way. Honesty now could mean Timmy loses the man he’s come to love, but not being honest could mean far worse.

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