Books Tagged With format - shared universe

Word Count: Click here to reveal58000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealDemisexual, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Questioning, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: John, 41, settles in Leicester after his divorce, with hopes of becoming the best version of himself as he builds a new life. He makes friends, starts doing yoga, and joins an RPG campaign. Only one day, he realises he might just have fallen in love with his best friend. Oops. After kissing Stu at a wedding, John runs away, convinced he's ruined things. Only when he finds out that all their friends had suspected he and Stu might have been attracted to each other, he wonders if there's actually a chance for him to fix things... Will they manage to properly communicate and sort themselves out? In this slow paced tale of falling in love over time, follow these characters on their journey to self discovery and acceptance, and found family. This is a story about love in all its forms: friendship, romantic, the family we are born with, and the one we end up choosing.

Word Count: Click here to reveal51458 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: When one man’s courage is lost to his own anger, another will try to rekindle it—no matter the cost. Kaidyn is the son of the queen and a trainee officer in the kingdom of Sareen. He is also a Half-Blood—his father is from Iskandir, a neighboring kingdom which has been at war with Sareen for many years. Bitter and angry at the prejudice he faces, Kaidyn meets Sorin, a healer from one of Sareen’s most prominent noble families. As their relationship deepens, the war between Sareen and Iskandir grows worse. Not only will the pair inevitably become involved with the conflict one way or another, but Sorin is also hiding a secret, and time is running out for them both.

Word Count: Click here to reveal212 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Making it to Rocktoberfest will be a feat when a crazed fan goes after Danny Raven Wells, the lead singer of Warrior Black. On the cusp of launching its first major album, Danny has to navigate the band’s quick rise to fame, a stalker that’s willing to kill, and an infuriating bodyguard Danny’s falling for. Tobias Grant has only two jobs: to protect the lead singer and deliver him safely to Rocktoberfest. Falling fast for the talented rocker, who somehow got under his defenses, isn’t one of them. However, Tobias will do whatever it takes, even putting himself in the line of fire, to get Danny on stage before the deranged fan hurts another person. In this close proximity ballad, Danny and Tobias must make compromises, but will their new relationship survive the days of music and danger?

Word Count: Click here to reveal49,620 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Agent Poe loves being part of the Agency—an organization devoted to protecting shapeshifters—and he especially loves his mate of only a couple of months, Nordik, the nigh immortal master bear shifter. He has the best of both worlds—the man he loves and the job he loves. But when Nordik reveals he’s ready to rejoin society and accompany Poe on his missions, Poe must take the next step and make them a full partnership. After the Agency intercepts a message from Arcas, the leader of the Knights of the Dawn—a cult bent on the annihilation of shifters—meant for his followers, their job gets a whole lot harder. The Knights don’t bother keeping their activities hidden anymore, stretching the Agency’s resources thinner than ever. After a near-fatal mission almost costs Poe his life, Nordik insists on a break for both of them. They visit Poe’s family in Ireland and learn that true danger lies not without, but within. There’s no greater betrayal than that of a loved one. Second Edition with revised text.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: In order to keep his skill in the field up to date, Alec "Red" Davis, Hercules Security's chief of operations, takes a job protecting Jon Baldwin, an actor thrown into the spotlight by sudden fame. Although he's attracted to Jon, who is modest about his success and genuinely appreciative of his fans, Alec knows he has to keep his distance. Even when Jon makes it obvious he returns Alec's interest, there is a professional line Alec knows he must never cross - no matter how great the temptation. While Alec accompanies Jon on a vacation to Central America, the two are caught in a devastating flash flood that pushes Alec's abilities to their limits. Determined to get Jon to safety, Alec has to battle both nature and his own feelings. But when Jon falls ill, Alec realizes that professional integrity won't mean a thing if he loses the man he loves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal46000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: He was the Beast without the escape clause. Francis “Liv” Livingston was a beast. No matter if he wore a perfectly tailored suit or if he was in his tactical gear, people avoided looking at him. He was always first to volunteer for the jobs only a person with a death wish wanted. Tomorrows weren’t guaranteed. His boss had come to him and told him he needed him for a job. Linus knew the jobs he liked, but when he opened the file, it all went to hell. Beauty was only skin deep. Fielding Haskell made his way in the world on his looks. He’d earned his first film role before he could read a script. He didn’t want the fame. He wanted to go to college. He wanted a man who didn’t look at him and see how pretty he was. Unfortunately, a so-called fan only cared how attractive he was and it earned him a personal bodyguard and a vacation. He looked forward to the break until he met the man in charge of his safety and wondered if the danger he left was worth dealing with a sudden attraction to a man who was colder than ice.

Word Count: Click here to reveal88766 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Beta Donnell Ursus Arctos devotes his life to protecting his leader and defending every bear in his clan. Some call him overprotective, but Donnell prioritizes safety. When he’s not working, Donnell has simple hobbies that others consider boring. Although Donnell is surrounded by family, wealth, and prestige, the bear shifter pines for Fate to pair him with the other half of his soul. For Joshua Brenton, little is going right. On the same day, Josh loses his job and his run-down apartment. But there is a bright light on the horizon—the annual retreat for mages. As an aqua mage, Josh has been disrespected since birth, but Fate has recently selected new leaders. After sweeping changes are made, Josh is randomly selected to prove his worth in the newly instituted mage testing. Josh is stunned when he meets the mage rulers and is invited to their home. Upon ringing the doorbell to the mansion, Josh meets Donnell, and they discover that they are mates. Although the pair are instantly drawn to each other, Josh learns he is more than a mage and must unravel a past he’d prefer to forget. It will be up to Josh and Donnell to chart a future while dealing with the surprises they encounter along the way.

Word Count: Click here to reveal30230 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: As a bull shifter, Ryan has no idea what it is to be human. When he’s purchased and brought to the home of Caleb O’Connell, he’s determined to show the young man who’s boss. However, Caleb won’t cooperate, and instead of fearing Ryan, Caleb takes a liking to the new bull he soon dubs Whirlwind. Caleb adores the feisty Whirlwind, convinced the bovine will be the best bucking bull in the Professional Bull Riding Circuit. Then one night his entire life changes when he learns Whirlwind’s secret—the secret of shapeshifters. Ryan and Caleb become the best of friends, and Caleb attempts to teach Ryan, as best he can, how to be a human. Their time together leads to deeper feelings... and eventually they decide to give a relationship a chance. Unfortunately, Ryan is kidnapped, and Caleb has to call in the Agency—an organization that protects shifters—or their new life together will end before it ever starts. Second Edition with updated and revised text.

Word Count: Click here to reveal51000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealLesbian, Non Binary, Pansexual, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: The world was whole before the war. But war is a terrible thing, and terrible things are done in the name of defense and protection. And this war tore the world apart, fractured it, separated families and lives and dreams. The reasons why no longer matter, but the effects still linger. They cause pain, though the war is over. But despite the monsters and the poisons and the despair, there is a glimmer of light. And hope and love are not gone from the world. These four stories, set in the Fractured World, explore how light can make it through the darkness. How hope can conquer fear. And most of all, how love can still flourish, even when the world is bleak. A young woman braves monsters to see the sky. A reluctant man chooses forgiveness over suffering. Lovers reunite to save a child and their community. Best friends risk everything for each other. Come see the light for yourselves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Alan I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life. Jason I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells. It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this. Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.

Word Count: Click here to reveal53000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: England, 1910 Monty, along with his best friend Bishop, investigates an odd seal-like creature swimming in Manchester Lake. The pair soon realize they've found a selkie when the magnificent animal transforms into the most gorgeous man either of them has ever seen. Determined to discover the origins of the mystical man, they bundle him into Bishop's brand-new electric automobile and whisk him off to London. There they find a host of distractions: a tastefully debauched house party hosted by silver-tongued aristocrats, and a queerly European-inspired novelty called the night club. Both are filled with a cast of characters sometimes amusing and sometimes frightening. And as the night unfolds, Monty comes face-to-face with ghoulish agents of the occult as well as revelations from the past. Most surprisingly of all, Monty finds himself falling for the beautiful creature from the lake, who seems equally interested in him. Can he really find himself in love with a man he has only just met? Or do they have a deeper connection which goes much further back? And what does it all have to do with the memories of his trip to Paris three years prior? The mystery of the selkie from Manchester Lake is only the beginning, and before their adventure is finished Monty will see the culmination of long suppressed secrets explode in a firestorm of magic and passion!

Word Count: Click here to reveal56304 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: An old soldier in search of redemption. A condemned prisoner with the power to carve out his heart… or save it. Caius Oppita has served the Alyrion Empire for more than half his life, watching with growing revulsion as the royal family descends ever deeper into corruption and depravity. Powerless to do more than stand by as the land he loves slides toward civil war and social upheaval, he longs for his days as a general on the battlefield rather than a tame palace lapdog. When the execution of one of the emperor’s inconvenient bastard sons goes wrong, Caius has a choice to make—do his duty, or do what is right and spirit the innocent man away to safety. It should have been simple—hide Decian in plain sight for a few days, then smuggle him out of the palace compound. Buy him passage on a ship sailing someplace far away from the capital city, and take quiet pleasure in fighting one single injustice among many. Instead, the swirling undercurrents of politics and power struggles seem determined to drag them ever deeper into danger—even as Decian guilelessly slips past the armor surrounding Caius’ battered soul. Caius had never considered himself a fool… but only a fool would bed the emperor’s illegitimate son. Much less let the brash young idiot anywhere near his heart. The problem with secrets is that they breed more secrets. And betrayal only hurts when you cared in the first place. * * * Master of Hounds: Book 1 is the first installment in an M/M epic fantasy trilogy by USA Today bestseller R. A. Steffan. It is set in the world of The Eburosi Chronicles, but stands alone. The book contains adult content. Other completed series set in this world: The Complete Horse Mistress Collection (2016 Rainbow Award winner) The Complete Lion Mistress Collection (2019 Rainbow Award winner) The Complete Dragon Mistress Collection

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: The last thing Agent Poe expected to do was fall in love... with a master shifter. Just days after the Agency raided the headquarters of the Knights, an organization that killed, tortured, and experimented on shifters, Chief Anu sends Agent Poe on assignment: find Nordik, the powerful master bear shifter who guards Sanctuary, and offer alliance. Agent Poe already has his hands full with shifters who need help and a kidnapped agent who needs rescue. Poe has never failed a mission, but he finds members of the Knights inside Sanctuary, raising suspicions about Chief Anu. If that wasn’t enough, Poe’s goals change again when he discovers his attraction to Nordik is one he might not be able to resist. He becomes torn between his duty to the Agency and his need for Nordik as a mate. For his part, Nordik has no intention of letting Poe slip through his fingers. As Nordik and Poe battle wills, a new dawn is on the horizon, not only for them but for shifters, the Agency, and the world itself. Second Edition with updated and revised text.

Word Count: Click here to reveal50000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealLesbian (Click here to hide)

Summary: Claire, a Detective Inspector in her late forties, has known and worked with Estelle for many years. Ever since they met, it felt like there could have been something more there: Estelle's gentle flirting and compliments have been a constant in Claire's life, but her self confidence never allowed her to truly believe the other woman meant anything by it. Until one day, Claire breaks her leg and finds out soon after that Estelle has decided to retire from the police, at only 56. Something doesn't feel right there, but before Claire can begin to ask more questions, Estelle offers to take her away to her seaside cottage for a week. After all, with Claire on sick leave and Estelle retired, they both have the time. Surely a week of lazy mornings, too much food and wine, and walks through the countryside aren't enough to make Claire fall when she’s resisted for so long?

Word Count: Click here to reveal78000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Beauty and the Bear: Can these opposites fake their way into something real? Sheldon Soleskin should be having a horrible day. Even though he’s been unexpectedly transferred to a new school right before the holidays, has only one day to set up his new classroom, and just discovered his twin sister's been hiding an invitation to his ex-boyfriend’s Christmas Eve wedding, he’s still ready to take on the world with a smile on his face and a skip in his step. Theo Berenson just wants to be left alone to his custodial duties. But when the chipper new first-grade teacher needs help moving furniture the Sunday after Thanksgiving, he's forced to do something he detests. Help. To make matters worse, Theo's overbearing parents are coming for Hanukah in a few weeks, and he's told them he has a boyfriend. Except he doesn't. Because who would want to date an oaf like Theo? Working together, these opposites discover they might be able to help each other out. Agreeing to be each other’s dates, they become friends as they practice for their upcoming events. But when all the rehearsing starts feeling a little too real, and both men's pasts come roaring back to haunt them, will they be able to pull off the ultimate holiday masquerade?

Word Count: Click here to reveal26000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Pansexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: One Witch One Paranormal Investigator Something that went bump in the night… Library witch Basil and YouTuber Sebastian have settled into life together in the sleepy suburb of Mt Eden. Basil is overjoyed to have a handsome boyfriend to come home to and he is connecting deeper with his magic. But when strange books start to turn up at his library and an uninvited guest makes noises in their attic, it's up to them to investigate. As a paranormal YouTuber, Sebastian can't resist a new mystery. Especially since he’s been in one place for far too long… Is his enthusiasm for the next story going to ruin everything? ******************************* Monsters and Manuscripts is a novella-length story featuring monsters, witches and a sweet gay romance. It's part of the Witchy Fiction project of New Zealand authors. Monsters and Manuscripts is part of a series and best read after Overdues and Occultism. You can read more about Sebastian and Basil in Jingle Spells: Witchy Christmas Stories

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Lesbian, Pansexual, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Bartender-extraordinaire Amy Thompson loves her job at Sappho’s Kiss, but grows weary of the party lifestyle she lives. A decade has passed since she’d taken her life into her own hands and said enough was enough.That didn’t mean a lifetime of programming changed overnight and concealing her pain from others was a habit she held to with a steely, white-knuckled grip. That is until she caught sight of big, azure eyes across a coffee shop. Psychologist Maya Chamberlain tells herself she's content with her life since she was widowed years before. The same crash that took her husband left her with a limp and a loathed cane. She loves her job at the LGBT Youth Center in Colton, Maine’s Pride District until an over-sized, blonde ego plops down across from her in Pink’s Diner. Can two women who hide what they desire from the rest of the world find freedom and acceptance in each other’s arms?

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay, Lesbian (Click here to hide)

Summary: Lizzie Ferguson isn’t your typical 1912 woman! She does not intend to ever marry, her lovers could be male or female, she was a Pinkerton Agent, carries a Derringer in her handbag, her best friend is Stiles Long (The Pinkerton Man Series), and she will do anything to solve a case. Including dressing in rags and scrubbing toilets in a male brothel. You can read some of her adventures with Stiles and Michael in the Pinkerton Man Series. Now, she’s beginning her own adventures and she’s not afraid to do anything it takes to catch a killer.

Word Count: Click here to reveal48338 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Every story has a beginning…. Dragons. Angels fear them and demons follow them. Formidable beasts of incredible power, they fight each other to the death for dominance. But dwindling dragon numbers cause alarm among the angelic ranks. Surely when the dragons have finished killing each other, the victors will search elsewhere for conquest… maybe even the Upper Realm. Roland, an angelic artist of significant talent, doesn’t know what to believe. Part of him longs to see a dragon in person, and his peaceful life of contentment is wearing thin. He wants passion, desire, adventure, and love. He gets more than he bargained for when he and his sister are ambushed and captured by demons, and they bring him to a creature who surpasses Roland’s wildest imaginings. But the mighty dragon Asagoroth is not all that he seems. Something sparks between him and Roland. Something neither anticipated. Something that will shake the cosmos to its core. Second Edition, fully revised and updated.

Word Count: Click here to reveal50469 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Trystan is an unchosen angel—shunned by society, bullied, and without a future. In a hidden well, Trystan discovers a carving of a dragon, who were once the commanders of demons and now believed extinct. But Trystan learns the carving doesn’t depict an ordinary dragon. Stories tell that millennia ago, the great dragon Asagoroth and his demon army nearly conquered the three realms but was killed by the five elders. The powerful angels combined their life forces to cast a spell, sacrificing their lives. But history is full of falsehoods. The five elders only managed to imprison the dragon, and Asagoroth had cast his own spell—one of releasement. It only needs the blood of a certain angel to liberate him from his cage…. Asagoroth, enemy of angels, conqueror of realms, is free. But even as the angels prepare for war, the great dragon surprises them with an ultimatum: hand over the angel who awakened him or face annihilation. Second Edition, fully revised and updated. The current audiobook is based off the first edition.