Strip Away the Badge Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to share time with us and our sexy cops! Without further ado, the winner of our giveaway is...

Natalija!

I have your address, so expect an email from us soon.

Since August is another double pax month, we'll be back on Monday with blurbs and excerpts for our military men pax, which comes out on August 23.  See you then!

Unobtainable by Shawn Lane

I’ve wanted to do a detective partners story for a long time. I have actually a longer fiction that I started ages ago and have still never finished and I briefly considered it for the Pax this and just knew I could never get it done in time, thus Unobtainable was written instead.

I was actually listening to Sam Smith’s “I Know I’m Not the Only One” when I came up with the idea and title for “Unobtainable”. Then my fictional California town of Haydon Cliff was born and the story just took over from that.

For “Unobtainable”, I decided to have the closed off Scott O’Hara be the POV character. He is not the open-minded guy he imagines himself to be.  And I knew I wanted to have a multicultural pairing, as I have done in the past, and so Edgar Lopez became Scott’s love interest. After having written so many books I have to get creative with names and I think Edgar really suits the character.

So I hope you enjoy reading about Scott and Edgar and how they navigate their budding relationship. I know I enjoyed writing them. 

*_*_*

Unobtainable by Shawn Lane is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

On Bryson by D.J. Manly

What elements go into a good romance? Well, if you ask a variety of people, you’ll get a variety of answers. If you can’t list variables, you might give a think about the romantic films or books that have stuck in your mind. Wuthering Heights (hey, I named my British kittie Bronte already!), Romancing the Stone, The English Patient, Maurice, The Road Trip, Dirty Dancing, An Officer and a Gentleman. I could go on and one. Some prefer lots of angst in their romance, others like comedy. 

I’ve written many romances in my time. In my mind, a good romance should have two likable main characters. Likable doesn’t mean perfect. Character flaws are a part of human nature. But in spite of the flaws, there should be something redeemable about these characters. You take these likable but flawed characters and you put them into a situation where they may be some conflict. What is wonderful about love is that love can win over conflict. The importance of a good love story is not the ending. Sure, we want them to end up together. But the real beauty of a well written love story is the journey, how do these two characters manage to get through the obstacles and wind up together. 

I wanted to write a “classic” love story and that’s why On Bryson ended up being. Two men, who seem to be on opposite sides of the law, drawn to each other yet doing all they can to fight that attraction. Love sometimes has a power of its own, and no matter how hard you fight, it wins. 

The two characters in On Bryson are Soren and Bryson. Soren is a man who long to escape his situation. He has never really been free to live his life. And as the story opens, we realise he is trapped again. Bryson is a rugged, homicide cop who is loyal to his family. When his cousin is shot and put in a wheelchair, Bryson is determined to find out who is behind the shooting. Soren’s association with the head of a major crime family puts him directly in Bryson’s path. Where the story goes from there is for you to find out. I’ve left a little teaser for you below. Enjoy.

*_*_*

Soren walked over and took the chair opposite him. “You know, you’re good looking, and clearly intelligent, too. But I should tell you that your personality leaves something to be desired.”

“Is that so?”

“And you’re a little too cocky for your own good.”

Janis came over set an open bottle of red wine in front of them with two glasses.

“The best in the house,” Soren told him.

“How nice,” Bryson replied. “To what do I owe the VIP treatment?”

“Just welcoming a new client.”

Janis poured the wine into the two glasses and gave Bryson a smile before she walked off.

“It seems you’ve made quite an impression on my waitress,” Soren said, wrapping his fingers around the stem of the wineglass.

“I didn’t notice.”

“So, tell me something about yourself.”

“I don’t have to. You seem to have me all summed up. I’m cocky and intelligent…oh and good looking, can’t forget that one, but I have a shitty personality.”

“How about something I don’t know?”

“But you know all you need to, Soren. I’m looking for Vinnie Delino. Seen him around lately?” He lifted an eyebrow.

Soren laughed. “You are stubborn.”

Bryson didn’t respond, just looked at him.

“You come right to point, don’t you? All right, I’ll bite. Who’s Vinnie Delino?”

Bryson shook his head. “Come on, Mr. Gambini, cut the bullshit.”

“Would you mind not calling me, Mr. Gambini? You made your point earlier.”

“With all the power that name wields, I would think you would like using it.”

“Well, I don’t,” he snapped.

Bryson flashed a smile.

“You happy you got to me?”

“That’s not what I came for.” He took a sip of his drink. “Forgive me. Now, back to Vinnie.”

Soren gave him an innocent look. “I’m not following.”

He sighed. “This innocent act seems to be a family trait. Vinnie is part of your family. He was your almost father-in-law’s godson. That seemed to serve him well for a while. But apparently he was quite an idiot and did something stupid. That led to my cousin getting shot. So either Vinnie is dead or Sidney is hiding him.”

“Italians have big families, Bryson. I can’t be expected to know them all by name. But then, Accurso is Italian, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” he replied softly. “I’m half Italian, actually. My mother was Irish. Nice dodge.”

Soren ignored the last bit. “That accounts for it.”

“Accounts for what? Do enlighten me.”

“Those killer blue eyes.”

“Please”—Bryson put a hand to his chest in mock humility—“you’ll make me blush.”

Soren laughed. “Somehow I doubt that. You’ve heard it before.”

“So,” he said. “Now that we know my eyes are blue, have you seen Vinnie or not?”

“I haven’t seen Vinnie,” he replied. “Not that I recall.”

*_*_*

On Bryson by D.J. Manly is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

I Love You, Goodbye by A.J. Llewellyn

When I accepted the challenge to write a police procedural story for the Amber PAX™ collection of stories, I tried writing one but it just wouldn’t fly. I couldn’t understand it because I love cops, and adore writing about them, but a visit to Austin, TX staying with my best friend convinced me I had to make I Love You, Goodbye, a new Dean Honeybone book. Once I made the decision to bring my favorite US Marshal out of retirement, the story fell into place.

Borrowing heavily from my niece, I gave Kaia, Dean and Jean-Luc’s little girl a new story arc, and man, is this kid finding growing up tough! 

Once again borrowing from real life, I based the gruesome crime Dean pursues on a real incident that happened last year. The story haunted me and I loved giving it life, but hated writing the murder scene. I was, however, intrigued to spend time talking with Austin detectives and learning about how they work.

I had a lot of questions and they were so helpful. Things happen faster there. Having spent so much time talking to Californian and Hawaiian cops, I was struck once again by the differences each city and state faces. Laws are different. DNA and coronial inquiries happen at different paces. 

Most people wouldn’t know, for example, that Los Angeles doesn’t automatically perform autopsies on their dead because of a huge backlog. 

Austin has its own problems. With so many new communities cropping up in The World Capital of Music, which has become a destination hub for young families, I chose to focus on the very real issues that are taking place there right now. During the ten days I spent in Austin, my friend’s family dealt with the terrible storms that shook the city. The frantic dog swimming down the street that I depicted in the opening scene, was real.

It worried us all until we learned his owner saved him.

And so, I Love You, Goodbye (the title comes from the Celine Dion song) was born. I love Austin and little things about it tickle me. I love South Congress and it’s bridge full of bats each evening, but I’d hate not having mail delivered to my door. Neither does Dean Honeybone! A communal mail box center in every neighborhood will soon become reality for all of us, but in the meantime, it’s still a novelty.

Murder is always intriguing, even if it’s not new. I’ve learned over the years that most homicides happen over money. Life is cheap sometimes, but for Honeybone, life means everything.

I Love You, Goodbye is now available at Amber Quill Press. Purchase Link:

http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2235-Honeybone-Book-5-I-Love-You-Goodbye.aspx

Synopsis:

(Book 5 of the Honeybone series)

(Note: Although this story is part of the Honeybone series, it can be read as a stand-alone story.)

Retired U.S. Marshal Dean Honeybone, his life-partner Jean-Luc, and their daughter Kaia have started a new life in Austin, TX. Jean-Luc has taken over a restaurant and has hired their neighbor, Manda-Jane Witten, as part of his kitchen staff.

Dean, Jean-Luc, Kaia, and even their dog Michael have come to adore Manda-Jane and her husband, Parker. During violent storms that shake Texas, Dean learns that Manda-Jane is deathly afraid of water, and when the couple’s home is flooded, Manda-Jane and Parker come to stay chez Honeybone, which serves to deepen the bond between the two families.

But when a mysterious cousin of Parker’s named Ronnie arrives to help the Wittens repair their home, Dean becomes suspicious of him, convinced the guy has done serious prison time. Though Ronnie soon returns to his home in Birmingham, strange things start happening over at the Witten home.

And then the couple disappears.

Dean becomes worried for their safety and teams up with an active U.S. Marshal to track them down. Kaia, however, seems to think he’s too late. She keeps saying they’re gone and that Dean has to listen to the song “I Love You, Goodbye” to understand the reason why...

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Mystery / Detective / Suspense / Thriller / Action / Adventure / Series 

Heat Level: 3 

Length: Novella (27k words)

Excerpt: 

...Everyone held their breaths as Jean-Luc unlocked the door and switched on lights. The restaurant really was a lovely, romantic space.

“Are we opening tomorrow night, boss?” Manda-Jane asked Jean-Luc.

Jean-Luc nodded, drinking it all in. “Oh, yes.”

She looked ecstatic. “Can I go to the food markets with you in the morning?” she implored, as he locked the door behind us.

“But it’s so early. I go at five,” he said, frowning.

“Please take her. She’s desperate to shop with you. Buying furniture put her in a mood,” Parker said.

Jean-Luc laughed. “I’ll pick you up at five sharp.”

We took some chairs off a table for six, and after Jean-Luc threw a crisp white cloth on it, we found some napkins and spoons and began attacking our desserts. Everyone except poor Michael who kept circling us, hoping something would drop to the floor.

“I’ve missed coming in every day,” Jean-Luc said, leaning back in his chair. A couple of hopeful people hammered on the door.

“We’re closed,” I yelled. They shrugged in a dejected way and left.

“Suckers,” Parker kidded, and once again we laughed.

When we cleaned up, closed everything again, then dropped the Wittens off half an hour later, Kaia began to cry.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Manda-Jane told her, “I promise.”

Kaia cried harder. “I’ll miss you, Miss Manda-Jane. I’ll miss you a lot.”

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re right across the road.” Manda-Jane hugged and kissed her. Our heart-broken little girl was inconsolable. I had no idea what was going on with her. She clung to Parker.

“Don’t go,” she begged.

He patted her back and kissed her head. “We’ll see you tomorrow, love bug.”

When we got home, she kept staring at their house from inside our windows. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she had hiccups.

“Why, Daddy, why?” she asked me, her sorrowful face alarming me.

“Why, what, darling?” I asked, but whatever it was, she couldn’t articulate it. I held her but couldn’t seem to bring her comfort. Jean-Luc ran her a bath with her favorite pineapple and black currant bubble bath. She stared into the suds and mourned until I read her a story about her favorite ballerina. Only it was my version of the story and the ballerina farted. A lot.

Kaia squealed, laughing and happy again, and I was relieved. Oh, hell was I relieved. I wished I could have asked her what troubled her, but she’d been weepy since we’d moved here. Kaia had seen more death and despair than any little girl had a right to. All I could do was love her, hug her and make her laugh. I could make her happy, and I could make ballerinas fart.

It’s what daddies do...

*_*_*

I Love You, Goodbye by A.J. Llewellyn is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

A Cop and a Con by Deirdre O'Dare

Years ago when I was trying to learn the craft of writing romance fiction, I came across someone’s statement about creating conflict between the couple that was critical to developing a powerful story. “If your hero is a fireman, then the heroine should be an arsonist.” 

I was like, “Whoa, that’s heavy stuff!” It seemed almost ludicrous but the idea took root. I have not always followed the precept to the letter but it certainly adds a lot to a relationship story if the parties have something else in their lives that puts them on completely opposite sides or distant ends of the spectrum. How can love find a way through such a barrier? 

The vague idea of A Cop and A Con had been bouncing around in the back of my mind for some time. After all, if one principal is in law enforcement, how much more opposite can you get than a former prisoner? The character of Ike came to me first. I’ve been out in some blizzards, and yes, they do sometimes happen in the high desert. It may not be Rocky Mountain or Arctic severe but a person can still get hypothermia and be just as dead if he doesn’t get shelter. I could feel Ike’s agony fade slowly to numbness as he struggled on, still trying because he is a determined man and also determined to save the little dog he had found. So what help was going to reach him in time? 

That’s when Perry began to take shape. I’ve had law enforcement folks in my circle of family and friends for a long time. I really identify with the deputies, rangers, border patrol and other officers who are out patrolling on their own in “the big empty.” That’s my name for all those miles of miles that stretch across the west, still not urbanized or civilized and in many cases, even less inhabited than they were fifty or a hundred years ago. So here comes Perry. He’s a dog person, too, and he really values his canine partner, even if she is unofficial. He also has a personal grudge about drug dealers as the reader will learn during the story, so he is out on a bad night looking for them. Instead, he finds Ike…

As I do with most of my tales, I wove a lot of odd little details and local color into this story. The county and towns I feature do not exist, yet their analogs are familiar and very real; I’ve been there. For example, I’ve witnessed vanishing mining towns over the years. While none of my homes were ever eradicated to the extent Esperanza has been in this story, I’ve talked to folks who did know this kind of displacing event. I don’t think Ike’s shock and pain are unique. While I don’t like maudlin and try to avoid anything close, that does not mean powerful emotions cannot emerge. I felt Ike’s; I hope my readers will too. Certainly Perry feels it and the pull it exerts on him. He has his ghosts too..

While none of the people in this or any of my tales are “real” in that an actual person is portrayed, every one is a composite of many, both the good guys and the not-so-good ones! They are built from the characters I’ve been privileged to know or witness in my many years living in this wonderfully diverse region. The southwestern area of the US is full of characters, both tragic and heroic. And some just quirky. They mix and meld in my weird writerly brain and come out again on my pages. 

I always want the details to be so real and vivid that even if my reader has never been south of Denver or west of the Mississippi, he or she will feel like they have when they finish a read. The people? Well, a story without characters would be very empty and without purpose, so I hope they are memorable too. They are all real, live folks somewhere and they certainly ‘live’ for me once they begin to take shape and tell me their stories. 

Of course there are often dogs, too. I can really picture Badger although I do not know a dog exactly like her. Rojo is very much inspired by my own little guy, the first small dog I ever took to heart, the one who sleeps on my bed! My Rojo is dachshund and spaniel, not Chihuahua but that is a minor thing. Although this tale is not part of my Canine Cupid series, it could be since it carries on the tradition of dogs helping to bring their people together. 

I know all the “Cop” stories in this PAX will be memorable and unique, but I suspect this one may be just a little bit different than any of the others. I admit to being an off-beat author. Readers like it or hate it, but I’m okay with that. Try me and this one, you just might find something to like. 

*_*_*

A Cop and A Con by Deirdre O'Dare is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Returning to the Perfect Moment by K-lee Klein

I love series or sequels or whatever you want to call them. Maybe it's because I have trouble letting go of beloved characters both when I read and write them. There's just something satisfying and comfortable about getting back into the heads of these familiar and cherished men who still want to talk to me.

Always the Perfect Moment is indeed a sequel to Never the Perfect Moment that was released last year. It's also a sequel that was never supposed to happen. When I wrote the first story it was also for a PAX collection, but I'd had no intention of continuing on in the lives of Bryan & Chrys...until I did my first read-through, and BAM!, I knew I needed to write Chrys' POV at least once.

As an author, I always wish for readers to take a liking to my characters. Sometimes it matters enough to me that I'd almost rather not know if they did or not - strictly out of insecurity. But when there is positive feedback and sweet demands for another story, I get tingly all over. 

Never the Perfect Moment received fabulous attention and feedback, plus my MCs, Chrys & Bryan, received oodles and oodles of love. So here they are, back in a new story that includes not only them but little Mickey (who got his own fanmail), Laura (the fabulously sweet but snarky ex-wife) and Pops (Chrys' dad).  I hope everyone enjoys the next part of their story because I enjoyed writing it.

One last thing - I'm not sure I've been one hundred percent accurate in saying I never intended on continuing their story because, the truth is, Chrys & Bryan had me at hello.

*_*_*

Always the Perfect Moment by K-lee Klein is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post, making sure to include your email so we have a way to contact you. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

LATEST PAX RELEASE - Strip Away the Badge

Genres: Gay (M/M) Erotic Romance

The titles listed below comprise the Strip Away the Badge AmberPax™ Collection. Buy all five together and receive a 35% discount! To purchase any of the titles individually, click on the covers below to go to the books' separate pages. 

Always the Perfect Moment by K-lee Klein Novella (Gay)

A Cop and a Con by Deirdre O'Dare Novella (Gay)

I Love You, Goodbye by A.J. Llewellyn Novella (Gay)

On Bryson by D.J. Manly Extended Novella (Gay)

Unobtainable by Shawn Lane Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

 

In conjunction with our newest release, we will be having a giveaway! Any comment made from today throughout the week (8/9-8/14) will be eligible to win the entire pax collection. A winner will be picked at random on Saturday from all comments received.

Unobtainable by Shawn Lane

Scott O’Hara and Edgar Lopez have been partners in the homicide unit of Haydon Cliff’s Police Department for the last couple of years. Edgar is openly gay and a bit of a player. Though Scott is also gay, he keeps it to himself. Even from Edgar. Until one night, a slightly drunk Scott initiates sex between them. Scott doesn’t expect the sex to be repeated. He doesn’t do one-night stands or have casual sex-buddies. But Edgar has other ideas and Scott can’t seem to resist his sexy partner.

While they try to solve the mystery of who is murdering Haydon Cliff’s homeless, they also try to solve the mystery of whether Edgar’s heart can really be unobtainable.

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Mystery/Detective/Interracial/Multicultural
Heat Level: 3

Length: Extended Amber Kiss (13k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...It had been a long day—they were always long—when I headed out to my car after my shift was over. Edgar had walked out with me and made for his motorcycle.

“Hey, Scott?”

I stopped as I was about to open my car door. “Yeah?”

Edgar looked more than a little uncomfortable. “Want to go get a drink or something?”

And though he’d asked, his expression said that was exactly the last thing he wanted to do. Fortunately I would save him from such a fate.

“Nah, that’s okay. Not much in the mood.” I opened the door. “Catch you later, Edgar. Good night.”

And I got in without giving him a chance for anymore awkward invitations.

I stopped on the way home for a drive-thru fast food dinner. Soon afterward, I and was pulling into my reserved parking space at my apartment complex when I noticed Edgar waiting next to his motorcycle. He was parked in a visitor spot.

“You forget something?” I asked, not bothering to hide my confusion. And perhaps a hint of irritation. Because yeah, I was annoyed that he had just showed up without notice.

Edgar nodded but he didn’t say a word. He just followed me up the stairs to my second floor apartment.

“I didn’t get you anything,” I said, holding up my bag of food as I stuck the key in the lock.

“Not hungry,” was his only response. He seemed impatient, agitated. I wasn’t sure why.

With a shake ofShaking my head, I turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. Edgar waited for me to precede him, and then he entered the apartment and kicked the door shut behind us. I started to turn away toward the kitchen when he reached for my bag of fast food and tossed it on the nearby hall table where I usually set my keys and mail.

“Hey, what are you—?”

He had me up against the wall, and despite the fact I was the taller one of us, he easily overpowered me with his strength. He grabbed my wrists and held my arms high above my head as he ground the hard bulge in his pants against me.

His lips smothered the protest I was about to make, his tongue thrusting inside my mouth, rubbing against the roof of my mouth before settling into a tangle with mine.

I felt my own cock rise in reaction, pushing against my briefs and zipper of my jeans. He’d somehow managed to trap my legs so I couldn’t move them, because if I had been able to, I would have probably kneed him in the crotch. Because this…this wasn’t supposed to be happening again.

And yet it was...

On Bryson by D.J. Manly

A few years ago, Soren became involved with the wrong man, and all he wanted to do was get away from a life connected to the mob. But now, here he is yet again, right back in that world, running a nightclub called The Sand Dune for the Gambini crime family. Never does he expect to meet the love of his life there, let alone that the man who comes into his nightclub is a cop on a rampage trying to discover who shot his cousin.

But now that Sergeant Bryson Accurso’s at The Sand Dune investigating, Soren’s been given orders to “be on him” at all times. And after one look at the sexy lawman, Soren immediately realizes his orders will be far too easy for him to follow...and he intends to follow those instructions to the letter.

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Action/Adventure/Romantic Comedy
Heat Level: 3

Length: Extended Novella (39k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...Bryson looked at him. “Want a blanket?”

“What?” Soren blinked.

“A blanket. I know you’re going to sit outside all night.”

“You could invite me up,” he said softly. “Then I wouldn’t need a blanket.”

Bryson glanced at him. “For what? We could fuck. Do you think that would be a good idea, Soren?”

“No.” Soren shook his head. “It’s a terrible idea, but it’s what I want at the moment. We may never get another chance.” He moved closer.

Bryson stepped away. “We can’t always have what we want.”

Soren pulled him back. “Look at me.”

Bryson met his gaze.

“Trust me. I would never hurt you. I would tell you everything if I thought it would make a difference. It won’t. It will get us both killed. That’s all I can say.”

“Somewhere deep down I want to trust you, Soren. Give me a reason, tell me something.” Their voices were like hushed whispers.

“If I tell you I think Vinnie may be dead”—he glanced up to Bryson’s window—“will you take me upstairs and forget about all this for a few hours?”

Bryson smiled, shrugged. “Try me.”

“There’s a good chance Vinnie’s dead. I think Sidney ordered the hit on Vinnie a few nights ago.”

“My cousin was working that night instead? The shooter thought he was Vinnie. “

Soren nodded. “I think so. Vinnie screwed up too many times. Sidney thought it would look like a mob hit. When Vinnie came to Sidney after it happened, Sidney ordered one of his men to take Vinnie out into the woods. I heard a shot back of the property around three in the morning. The shot woke me out of a dead sleep.” Soren moved closer, he traced the frown on Bryson’s lips. “Now, you keep your end of the bargain.”

“Are you serious?”

Soren nodded. “I never joke about fucking.”

“Are you sure it was Vinnie who was shot?” Bryson urged. “I need to see a body.”

“I can’t prove it, God damn it,” Soren snapped. “You could get yourself killed. I wouldn’t want that to happen. Just forget Vinnie and drop all this.”

Bryson shook his head. “Can’t do that. And stop worrying about me, Soren. You’ll get frown lines. And, really, I can take care of myself.”

“Fine, be an ass!” Soren called after him as Bryson began to walk toward his building. “Hey, you promised me a fuck. You’re not a man of your word?”

Bryson laughed but he didn’t look back...

I Love You, Goodbye by A.J. Llewellyn

(Book 5 of the Honeybone series)

Retired U.S. Marshal Dean Honeybone, his life-partner Jean-Luc, and their daughter Kaia have started a new life in Austin, TX. Jean-Luc has taken over a restaurant and has hired their neighbor, Manda-Jane Witten, as part of his kitchen staff.

Dean, Jean-Luc, Kaia, and even their dog Michael have come to adore Manda-Jane and her husband, Parker. During violent storms that shake Texas, Dean learns that Manda-Jane is deathly afraid of water, and when the couple’s home is flooded, Manda-Jane and Parker come to stay chez Honeybone, which serves to deepen the bond between the two families.

But when a mysterious cousin of Parker’s namded Ronnie arrives to help the Wittens repair their home, Dean becomes suspicious of him, convinced the guy has done serious prison time. Though Ronnie soon returns to his home in Birmingham, strange things start happening over at the Witten home.

And then the couple disappears.

Dean becomes worried for their safety and teams up with an active U.S. Marshal to track them down. Kaia, however, seems to think he’s too late. She keeps saying they’re gone and that Dean has to listen to the song “I Love You, Goodbye” to understand the reason why...

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Mystery/Detective/Suspense/Thriller/Action/Adventure/Series
Heat Level: 3

Length: Novella (27k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...Everyone held their breaths as Jean-Luc unlocked the door and switched on lights. The restaurant really was a lovely, romantic space.

“Are we opening tomorrow night, boss?” Manda-Jane asked Jean-Luc.

Jean-Luc nodded, drinking it all in. “Oh, yes.”

She looked ecstatic. “Can I go to the food markets with you in the morning?” she implored, as he locked the door behind us.

“But it’s so early. I go at five,” he said, frowning.

“Please take her. She’s desperate to shop with you. Buying furniture put her in a mood,” Parker said.

Jean-Luc laughed. “I’ll pick you up at five sharp.”

We took some chairs off a table for six, and after Jean-Luc threw a crisp white cloth on it, we found some napkins and spoons and began attacking our desserts. Everyone except poor Michael who kept circling us, hoping something would drop to the floor.

“I’ve missed coming in every day,” Jean-Luc said, leaning back in his chair. A couple of hopeful people hammered on the door.

“We’re closed,” I yelled. They shrugged in a dejected way and left.

“Suckers,” Parker kidded, and once again we laughed.

When we cleaned up, closed everything again, then dropped the Wittens off half an hour later, Kaia began to cry.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Manda-Jane told her, “I promise.”

Kaia cried harder. “I’ll miss you, Miss Manda-Jane. I’ll miss you a lot.”

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re right across the road.” Manda-Jane hugged and kissed her. Our heart-broken little girl was inconsolable. I had no idea what was going on with her. She clung to Parker.

“Don’t go,” she begged.

He patted her back and kissed her head. “We’ll see you tomorrow, love bug.”

When we got home, she kept staring at their house from inside our windows. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she had hiccups.

“Why, Daddy, why?” she asked me, her sorrowful face alarming me.

“Why, what, darling?” I asked, but whatever it was, she couldn’t articulate it. I held her but couldn’t seem to bring her comfort. Jean-Luc ran her a bath with her favorite pineapple and black currant bubble bath. She stared into the suds and mourned until I read her a story about her favorite ballerina. Only it was my version of the story and the ballerina farted. A lot.

Kaia squealed, laughing and happy again, and I was relieved. Oh, hell was I relieved. I wished I could have asked her what troubled her, but she’d been weepy since we’d moved here. Kaia had seen more death and despair than any little girl had a right to. All I could do was love her, hug her and make her laugh. I could make her happy, and I could make ballerinas fart.

It’s what daddies do...

A Cop and a Con by Deirdre O'Dare

When a cop and a newly released convict cross paths, few cons can expect anything but a cold shoulder and mistrust. Struggling back to the home he knows no longer exists, Ike Hernandez meets a cop who seems to be different. He isn’t sure he can believe the kindness he receives will continue. Still, he wants to learn to trust again and regain his lost self-respect.

Perry Parker became a law enforcement officer because he wanted to help people. He’d seen first-hand the results of poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, a crumbling economy and the insidious effects of peer pressure and bad examples on the youth. He’d watched hardship trickle down to crush the youngest and weakest. He found there was not a lot he could do, but now and then he discovered someone he could help. Would the lost man with the little dog that he picked up one bitter cold and stormy night be one of them?

Pursuing tales about a new drug dealer in his county, Perry starts to doubt the man he’s befriended, but he still feels Ike is a decent person. When the real dealers seek to take advantage of the convict’s past, it takes Perry and his unofficial canine partner and the little stray Ike had adopted to save the day. Can a cop, a con, and two dogs make an unorthodox family?

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Interracial/Multicultural
Heat Level: 2

Length: Novella (23k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...“Yeah, there’s a low level cartel jefe based in this area, answering to a higher one in Las Cruces. Everyone knows that, or almost everyone. And he has minor honchos, at least one or two in every little village. They’ll let the freelancers alone for a while, but if they start getting too big, they’re erased. Four or five small-time hoods have vanished, a couple of the bodies found later. No way to solve the cases, really. They go cold. We haven’t got the manpower to work on them very long. And to be honest, everyone is almost relieved when one pusher is out of the picture.”

Ike nodded, just a single sharp jerk. “Still, folks know what I am, and they’re suspicious. I can sense it. And this stuff about some dude called El Feo…he worries me.”

Perry found himself gazing intently into Ike’s dark eyes, absorbing the worry and other nameless emotions churning inside him. Then, before he quite realized what he was going to do, much less why, he hauled Ike closer. He suddenly found his mouth grinding against Ike’s, tasting the spices the other man had used in the dish he was cooking, a hint of coffee and the mint gum he often chewed.

For a few seconds, Ike kissed back. Then he went tense in Perry’s hold and jerked free with a desperate twist. He took two fast stumbling paces backward, breathing hard.

Perry almost staggered, shock roaring through him. “Oh, man, I didn’t mean, didn’t expect—oh fuck, I’m sorry. Why in hell did I do that?”

Ike’s mouth opened and shut a time or two, no words emerging. Finally, he croaked what sounded like, “It’s okay. I mean I— Well, just forget it. It’s all right.”

“Anyway,” Perry said, turning to head back out, “I’m on duty for two more hours and will prob’ly be late. I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have something on this Feo guy by then. I know you’re no drug pusher.”

Ike didn’t say anything at all. He turned back to the stove and didn’t glance around once.

With his back to Ike as he reached for the door, Perry felt a compulsion to explain. “Yeah, I’m gay. I guess I never said, did I? Still, I won’t do anything like that again unless I know you expect it and want it.”

In Perry’s one fast look before the door shut between them, he got a good view of Ike’s reverse half. Shit, he didn’t think Ike had gained much weight but he had a damn fine ass. Now that he wore jeans that fit, the back view was fine.

When Perry got back into the idling SUV, he realized his hands were shaking. At first, he wasn’t sure he could control the vehicle. His heart pounded until it felt like it might burst right through his ribs. What in the devil was he thinking of, grabbing Ike like that and kissing him? Within the confines of his dark brown uniform pants, his cock throbbed, so hard it, too, felt about to bust free...

Always the Perfect Moment by K-lee Klein

(Book 1 of the Perfect Moments series)

Bryan Monroe took a chance when he told Chrys Delos, his best friend and partner on the police force, that he loved him, but he never thought he’d get so lucky when Chrys returned the feelings. Now, although he and Chrys are over-the-moon happy, Bryan wants to take their relationship to the next level in two big ways.

Chrys has healed nicely from the gunshot wound that could have cost him his life. But now that it’s time for him to return to work, he and his partner-turned-lover must navigate their new relationship on the job.

It’s one thing to clearly define the love they feel for each other, but it could be an entirely new challenge when they tell their friends and family about the change in their partnership...

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Series
Heat Level: 3

Length: Novella (25k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...“You ready for today?”

Chrys Delos cautiously cracked one eye open to see a sleep-creased but gorgeously bed-headed Bryan Monroe grinning over his shoulder. Shifting sluggishly to his back, he squinted up at the man who hovered deliciously over him. It was too damn bright or just too damn early to be so damn bright, and it wasn’t until that moment that he realized he’d become lazy during his time off, especially after a slow, meandering week in Greece with his pops.

His flight had been late, finally bringing him home at three in the morning instead of ten at night. And Bryan had been there, bleary-eyed and half asleep, holding up the wall near the baggage claim. He’d been there despite the lateness, despite having to work in the morning, despite Chrys insisting he and his dad could easily take a taxi.

Of course, Chrys had secretly wanted him to be there. He’d never had a boyfriend wait for him anywhere, let alone under such horrible circumstances. Even being half-dead with jet lag, hungry, thirsty, sore from sitting in one place so long, Bryan had instantly cured him of all his ailments.

“Hey, eyes open.”

Chrys did as he was instructed. Fortunately, he wasn’t subjected to the harsh light again as Bryan leaned down to press their sleepy smiles together. Their first kiss of the day was unhurried, soft and unrepentant of their shared morning breath. They’d worked that out from the beginning. If they wanted to kiss before freshening up, then they would damn well do it. And they did…three times before Bryan spoke again.

“Think you can handle all that responsibility? Paperwork, keeping the coffee flowing, and answering the phone.” Bryan’s grin was infectious even if Chrys was the butt of the jokes. “You better be on your toes. Who knows how many little old ladies will call about their poor kitties getting caught in a tree.”

With a growl and roll, Chrys straddled Bryan in one easy motion. “I think you have me confused with a hot fireman from one of your calendars.”

His shoulder felt pretty good, just a twinge when the muscles contracted or he moved it too quickly. He knew how lucky he’d been in the shooting, also knew what a jackass move he’d made that could have got him killed. Bryan, and then Pops, had been sure to knock that into his head once and for all, and more than a few times.

And Chrys wasn’t an idiot. He knew sound, and more or less threatening, advice when he heard it. No more putting himself in danger for others if it could cause detriment to himself because the second worse thing in the world would be dying now that he had what he wanted. The first, of course, was losing Bryan. Life was short, too short to be stupid and inattentive.

His new life goal had been one of the reasons he’d spent a week in Greece with his dad. And seeing the joy on the old guy’s face had been a reward for Chrys, a token to Pops for all the worry Chrys had put him through. He’d really wanted Bryan to come along but the short notice hadn’t made it plausible.

Next time, Chrys told himself.

In a sick sort of way, getting shot had proven to have its benefits, as well—namely Chrys’ partner going from best friend to lover. The outcome had been nothing short of amazing and more than Chrys could ever have hoped for...