Books Tagged With who - occupation - gardener

Word Count: Click here to reveal14384 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Resonance: The quality in a sound. The power to evoke enduring emotions. Sometimes one can result in the other. Rick Brandt would never have said he was claustrophobic; after all he’s been in plenty of enclosed spaces in his job as the village’s only handyman cum gardener. He even squeezed into a disused coal chute to rescue a trapped dog for an elderly resident. So why did opening his eyes in the MRI scanner induce a breath stealing freak-out that has him jabbing at the panic button. Luckily, Mal, the radiographer running his scan has a pleasant voice and an excellent bedside manner that soothes Rick’s frayed nerves and rabbity heartbeat. Soon the resonance of his tone has gone beyond calming and Rick is lost in a fantasy of the man behind the voice. But things aren’t always what they seem and when Rick’s shocked surprise at the reality causes offence, the likelihood of him getting to experience Mal’s true bedside manner appears to be slipping away.

Word Count: Click here to reveal38000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Aromantic, Bisexual, Demigender, Demisexual (Click here to hide)

Summary: RISE (noun / verb) Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) An upward slope or movement 2) A beginning or origin 3) An increase in amount or number 4) An angry reaction 5) To take up arms 6) To return from death 7) To become heartened or elated 8) To exert oneself to meet a challenge Rise features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Shiloh Williams lost his husband in the bullriding ring two years ago and hasn’t been able to move on. It’s been so long since he was happy he’s forgotten how to be. After making the long drive up to Vermont to visit friends, he finally decides that getting out of Texas might be the only way to leave the hard days of his past behind. Tate Dutton is a high school math teacher in Burlington, and a part time driver for a local brewery in the evenings. It takes more than his teacher’s salary to keep his small dairy farm afloat, but he loves it so much, he doesn’t mind the extra work. Shiloh has taken up residence in the back booth of a local bar where he’ll nurse one whiskey all night long. Tate has seen the cowboy many times, as it’s his favorite hangout too. The first time Tate stumbles into a conversation with Shiloh it doesn’t go so well, but Tate doesn’t seem to get the hint and before long Shiloh has no choice but to indulge the younger man. Is there any hope for these two? Time will tell whether the grumpy Shiloh or the sunny Tate proves to be more stubborn, or if friends will interfere and bring them together.

Word Count: Click here to reveal22312 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It is time to go to my son. Nen waited to hear those words from the Vasilissa for fifteen rotations, since that time the snow wouldn’t stop falling. But now that he’s about to meet Anani, the love of his life, again, he’s afraid. What if Anani doesn’t feel the same anymore? Anani, the guardian of the water element, was only seventeen when he was banished from his mother’s court. Heartbroken he couldn’t be with the one he loved, he lost control over his emotions and his power. No matter what he tried, the snow wouldn’t stop, and as a last resort, he was sent away. When they finally meet again, Anani is hopeful but disillusioned. The law that kept them apart hasn’t changed. How will they be able to find their happily ever after? And what happens when the snow starts falling again?

Word Count: Click here to reveal131709 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Brett is selling an exclusive property in his private community near Palm Springs and has asked his pal Lila to represent the sale. A while back while looking at Lila’s wedding album, a man’s photograph caught his eye; she told him his name is Jimmy. She was quick to remind him with a grin that he was the same guy who she had mentioned to him several times in the recent past. Since that auspicious moment, Brett cannot seem to get Jimmy out of his mind or understand the unreasonable attraction to a stranger. With extreme urgency, Lila calls Jimmy, telling him to drop everything to view Brett’s amazing house. Later, during the impromptu showing, Lila confirms her personal insight that Jimmy is a perfect match but not only for the house. What Jimmy will soon discover is that the community is magical, and things are not always as they seem.

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

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: Spy vs Spy Jim Calhoun and his sister Lori are just two Americans in North Abarra exploring their roots. They are definitely not off-duty CIA agents. Enzo da Silva is the head groundskeeper on Princess Odile's country estate. He is definitely what he seems to be – the guy who trims the hedge maze and measures oxygen levels in the national forest. The Princess's birthday bash is a major celebration every year. As the big day approaches, a series of accidents plague the preparations. It's almost like someone wants things to go wrong. But it's not as though two commoners like Jim and Enzo – with absolutely no super powers – can stop a rogue supervillian. And if Jim and Enzo keep showing up at the same crime scenes, it's not because they can't keep their eyes off each other. Definitely not. The Frogman and the Spy definitely does not feature: Two undercover supos. A cameo by King Bastien of North Abarra. An unstoppable force. An immovable object. Secrets. Exploding cakes. Frogs. This book is part of the multi-author series Royal Powers II and can be read as part of the series or as a standalone. Book 1, King's Ex, is by E.J. Russell.

Word Count: Click here to reveal87,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It took losing nearly everything, to discover what they can’t live without. A few excruciating minutes pinned under a burning beam cost Ryan Ward his job as a firefighter, the easy camaraderie of his coworkers, his current girlfriend, and damn near cost him his left leg. Giving up, though, wasn’t an option. He fought and won the battle back to health, over a painful year. Now, choosing a new profession, going back to school, and renting a room from the college groundskeeper should be simple. Until he realizes he’s falling in love with his housemate, and things take a turn for the complicated. John Barrett knows about loss. After moving twice to stay in touch with his kids, he could only watch as his ex-wife whisked them away to California. Offering Ryan a room seems better than rattling around his empty house alone. But as casual friendship moves to something more, and emotions heat up, the big old house feels like tight quarters. It’s nothing they can't learn to navigate, until life adds in unhappy teen kids, difficult family members, and mysterious deaths on campus. Rebuilding will be far from easy, even for two guys willing to open their minds, and hearts. (This is a rerelease of the 2012 Samhain novel, with only minor editing.)

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Twins Bren and Clark have been holding each other up since their mother passed away. It hasn’t been easy. But Bren is running the family greenhouse and Clark has a good job at the local library. Life is quiet, just as Bren likes it. But Clark feels like he’s stagnating. Bren isn’t looking for love when a greenhouse customer dumps water all over her. But Elodie’s cute and bouncy and, it turns out, a folklorist at the local college and has a special interest in plants and their stories. It seems like a perfect match. Clark might have a tiny crush on a patron at the library, but he’s never going to say anything. But when Jasper, that very patron, asks for Clark’s assistance on a research project, Clark can’t say no. To Jasper or the project; Jasper’s researching local “ghost trails”. And Clark is a bit of a believer. But trauma and grief are slippery things, and getting through it isn’t simple or easy. Maybe love needs to find a way to help them both heal.

Word Count: Click here to reveal75000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Take one shy French gardener, mix in a naughty aristocrat, add a splash of water, a dash of sunshine, and wait for love to grow. If only it were that easy. Reuben Costaud counts his blessings daily. His run-in with crime is firmly behind him. He has a wonderful job gardening on the Rossingley estate, a tiny cottage all to himself, an orphaned cat named Obélix, and a friendly bunch of workmates. The last thing he needs is a tall, blond aristocrat strolling across the manicured lawns towards him. Falling in love is not part of his plan. Viscount Aloysius Frederick Lloyd Duchamps-Avery, Freddie to his friends, is in big trouble with everyone, from his father and his modelling agency, to his controlling older boyfriend. Seeking solace and refuge, he escapes to Rossingley and his adored cousin Lucien, the sixteenth earl. To take his mind off his woes, Lucien finds him a job with the estate gardening team. Mutual attraction blossoms amongst the gardening tools, and Freddie charms his way through Reuben’s defences. But as spring turns to summer and Freddie’s London life collides with their Rossingley idyll, Reuben’s trust in him is ruptured. Will their love flourish or is it destined for the compost bin?  

Word Count: Click here to reveal50300 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A former blood slave. A strapping vampire. More zucchinis than any man could eat. Rue Yarrow was rescued from a blood bar and taken to a gated community of supernaturals. Haunted by nightmares and memories, he does his best to avoid people. His only solace is his garden, where he uses his magic to grow an abundance of vegetables. But one day, it isn't the zucchinis greeting him, but a severed human head. Noah Caramine wants as little drama as possible, and interfering with a vampire clan's business is never a good idea. He's never met a magic user and is curious about Rue, but he fears there will be consequences for stealing the blood slaves. When body parts start popping up inside the walls, Noah doesn't know if someone is trying to frame them for murder or distract them from keeping the blood slaves safe. Rue never believed he'd go near a vampire again, but when threats are drawing closer, he turns to Noah. Who better to keep him safe from vampires than a vampire?