Books Tagged With potential trigger - abuse - past

Word Count: Click here to reveal97,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Nathan doesn’t know how to stop dwelling on the failures and tragedies that have plagued him since the last time we saw him at the end of The Mayor of Oak Street, a twenty-one-year-old happily in the arms of the handsome young doctor he had pined for since he was twelve. Many years later, what could mend Nathan’s heart after the latest tragedy and stop his deep dives into the past? Another handsome young doctor? Or would someone in the medical field do? After a chance meeting with ER nurse, Mateo, a lot of Nathan’s reminiscing is now devoted to that encounter and how it made him feel. Will he seize the day or continue wallowing in the past, having lunch with his best girlfriend from high school, and writing poetry? Nathan has lived through and had a personal connection to many of the crises that have plagued the LBGTQ+ community in the last forty years: the Up Stairs Lounge fire in New Orleans, the assassination of Harvey Milk, and the AIDS epidemic. He has lived in foreign countries, traveled the globe, and had lovers on every continent, all the while with a disease that people once thought was a death sentence. There are moments he is convinced that Mateo is the reward to all his suffering and loss, that his whole life led him to this great love. At other times, he’s so frustrated with Mateo, he’s ready to run as far away as he can get. Mateo, for his part, must take care of his ailing mother while he works full time in the emergency room. The practical aspects of starting a new relationship are challenging to say the least. The Long Journey to You is both a moving romance and a lesson in survival.

Word Count: Click here to reveal85000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Every action has consequences. For a decade, Angel Salvatore has been the most powerful sorcerer and only necromancer in all the Northeast. Never one to ask permission nor apologies, he has acted with near impunity for years. Until now. The High Council of Sorcery has come to Boston, and Angel is their target. Charged with numerous violations of practitioner laws, his freedom and family are placed in jeopardy. If found guilty, Angel's apprentice Daniel will be imprisoned to serve out the remaining years of his apprenticeship. Isaac, his brother, is too vulnerable to be left unguarded, and Angel fears for his sanity and health. And Simeon, Elder vampire and Angel's mate refuses to see Angel convicted under the laws of the Council and his actions to keep Angel free threaten to start a war that could destroy their world. And Angel faces the severest of punishments—the castration of his gifts. The Council has never cared for the people of Boston, and Angel doubts their motives. They have come for some insidious reason, and it has nothing to do with upholding the law and everything to do with Angel. Dealing with an impending trial, a wayward ghost, and a graverobbing ring of thieves leaves Angel on the edge. He thinks he may have a handle on things until violence erupts across the city, and a stranger comes to town...a stranger with his own dark powers of necromancy. This is book 3 of a series, and the previous books should be read first for full enjoyment. Trigger Warnings are on the Copyright Page and can be seen using the Look Inside feature or by downloading a sample of this book. 85,000 words 340 pages Gay Urban Fantasy Romance

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

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

Summary: Are you willing to commit murder to save your daughter? Jinx Kilduff is in trouble. Big trouble. The leader of his community wants him to take out Gertrude, the leader of the Myrfolk community. To get Jinx to follow through, he kidnaps Jinx’s daughter. Jinx doesn’t want to kill Gertrude. He’s been trying to get her to take him in so he can escape the life he’s trapped in. Now he’s forced to kill her instead. Namir Klossner wants to be left alone. He doesn’t want anyone in his space, so no one is more surprised than him when he offers a panther shifter from another community to stay in his guestroom. There is something about him that makes Namir want to keep him close. Mostly it’s because he doesn’t trust him, but he’d be lying if he said that was the only reason. Jinx will do whatever he has to do to get his daughter back, but maybe there is a way other than to kill Gertrude. And maybe, just maybe, he can stay with Namir. There is nothing Namir hates more than vampires, so when he hears Jinx has a daughter and she is kept prisoner by one, he swears to do everything in his power to get her back...and if he succeeds, maybe Jinx will want to stay with him.

Word Count: Click here to reveal25000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: Who says that underdogs don't bite? Twelve-year-old Jack Horwood has run from the pimp his mother sold him to, preferring to take his chances on the streets. A house with a cheerful red door – and a classic convertible out front – prompts him into a spot of breaking and entering, and soon he has a warm, dry basement to squat in. Until the owner of the house, Jamaican hacker Rio Palmer, discovers his hideout. Rio offers him a safe place to stay, but Jack doesn’t believe a word the man says and runs. Rio can’t forget the youngster who is scared and vulnerable, and stronger than many men Rio has met. Finding Jack is a tiny challenge. Teaching him to trust is like climbing a mountain. But when faced with a true zero and its power, Rio can do nothing else.   Check out this poignant coming of age story of courage and hope with a touch of revenge.   Zero Rising traces the origins of Jack Horwood, the main character of my Power of Zero series. Both series are available from my store, all retailers, Kobo Plus, and libraries. Also available as part of a bundle. Please check my store for additional links.

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

Summary: There was a time when Master Saul Alvarez filled his days fighting and his nights teaching willing subs the pleasure of his whip. His compassionate understanding of the masochist mind makes him the most sought after professional sadist in the Miami BDSM community. Neither role invites long term relationships, but he’s comfortable with his solitary existence until he is charged with guarding Durango’s prized whore. One look into those terror filled eyes has him vowing to risk it all to save the beautiful man. Javier Escardo had been praying for death, but never expected the stone cold killer he got in response. One glimpse into those sinful eyes reveals not only the promise of retribution, but a reason to live. Six years later, free and mostly sane, Javier is determined to take what belongs to him. Saul’s heart. Through hell and back, through layers of pain and shifting realities, that one truth has remained firm. His protector needs saving and he can’t do it alone. Hidden beneath the public persona, Kyle Jansen is a man who craves to be invisible without being insignificant. He longs to find a Master who will see his need to be taken over without abusing him and a lover who will care about him beyond the sexual games. It isn’t until he encounters the smoldering combination of Saul and Javier that he realizes it was never supposed to be just one partner at all. Can two battered hearts be mended by the love of a third? Kyle becomes the light to their darkness, and he’s willing to risk his heart for theirs, but when the past threatens Saul, will Javier’s sacrifice destroy them all? Author's Note: This book contains references to past abuse. Kindle Unlimited: The Protector's enrollment in KU will expire February 6, 2017

Word Count: Click here to reveal64000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stefan Holt left home at nineteen, guitar in hand, determined that couch-surfing would be better than staying with his mother. He finally lands with Megan, an old band-mate, and they decide to resurrect their rock n’ roll dreams to get them out of their opioid-riddled small town. Unfortunately, neither of them is much of a lyricist. Han Westfall works at the local library, where he lives to rec poetry to the handsome, mysterious guy who brings in his guitar and stays all day. Han writes lines of his own, and when Stefan finally asks to see them, their musical chemistry clicks—and it brings them closer, faster than either of them imagined possible. They name their new band Virginie, ostensibly in honor of their Appalachian roots. They’ll have to work through band in-fighting, revenge porn, homophobic taunts, family addictions, parental drama, and their own inner demons to make things work, both in love and in music. But if they can make it, maybe they won’t just get out of town. Maybe they’ll rise up and take everyone with them.

Word Count: Click here to reveal86720 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The final war is on the horizon. Years ago Renaldo would have said all is fair in love and war. Now he’s sure nothing is. His husband, Casto, has left him, and without his touchstone, Renaldo cannot control his powers. The loss could not come at a worse time. The Good Mother and her followers are stretching out in a power grab, dividing the forces of the Gods of War and putting their victory in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Casto has reached the ancient city of Quell’renar, where raw magic has been burned so deeply into the fabric of creation that no one can stay for any length of time. Delving into the past the city reveals to him shows Casto that he and Renaldo are not so different. But even if he accepts his role as Renaldo’s heart, there’s a long way to go before he’ll find any peace. Because Quell’renar itself is speaking to him, driving him to the brink of insanity….

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

Summary: As a Certified Mental Health Therapist, Scott Reid has his share of interesting experiences, though nothing compares with the time he spends with the psychic, Alex Elson. Plagued by terrifying images and dreams, Alex turns to Doctor Reid in the hopes of learning to control his visions. Instead, Scott is pulled into Alex’s world, where dreams and reality mix and nightmares are real. Two young men, brothers, have been abducted from the lake outside of Oakton without a trace of who took them. That is, until Alex receives a silver pocket watch in the mail belonging to the elder brother, a taunt from the kidnapper for Alex to come find them. Alex’s visions turn at once into nightmares. Images flash in his mind of an abandoned well and a terrified, lonely boy slowly dying at the bottom. The shed looms close by, holding a horrifying secret, a dark place Alex’s frightened mind refuses to go. With the help of Scott Reid, Alex endeavors to control his visions and find he brutalized victims before death claims them. But the watch is ticking away and time’s running out

Word Count: Click here to reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rescued from slavers, healer novice Jaime Buchanan finds himself alone and free in Pyrderi, a kingdom of magic, mythical creatures, and a culture as open and kind as his homeland was cruel and close-minded. Despite his rescue, Jaime is not left without scars, both mental and physical. Traumatized by his experience and hiding his gift, Jaime struggles to earn his place in the kitchens of Angharad Palace, the heart of Taliesin City. His former life as a student of the healing arts leaves him at a disadvantage in the kitchens, and his damaged state is becoming more apparent by the day. One day, when necessity and fate intervene, Jaime meets someone unexpected—Prince Maxim, youngest son of the Pyrderian king, a sword master and a devastatingly kind man. Unaccustomed to powerful people with compassion and heart, Jaime flees. A cascade of events reveals Jaime’s hidden talents of healing, and he finds himself not in chains, but at the beginning of a new life. This swift change of fortune opens Jaime up to new possibilities, including a smitten prince who cautiously courts Jaime, easing him away from his fears and reminding him that compassion and love can make him strong. The winter solstice is quickly approaching, and Prince Maxim shows Jaime the enjoyment and excitement to be found in a land that embraces the ice and cold, and the mysteries of all things magical. He learns to see the man under the royal mantle, and Maxim is more than even Jaime suspected. The winter solstice is nigh when tragedy strikes, and Jaime learns that his past of grief and sorrow can be a pillar of strength for his solstice prince. If there is one thing that Jaime believes above all else, it is in the healing power of love. 51,835 words, 182 pages Gay Epic Fantasy Romance

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Odessa I'd always wanted more. Some fairytale that didn't exist. One day I'd stood up and ran to give my children the life my family and community denied me. All of it had seemed simple in my brain but taking my life back at almost forty wasn't just about changing zip codes. That was until one night in my favorite diner, and the more I was looking for asked to sit at my table. Dani I was a serial monogamist, but long-term hadn't worked out for me. My fairytale didn't exist. The woman for me wasn't out there waiting, and if she was, I hadn't found her yet. I resigned myself to teaching during the week and playing ball with my friends on the weekend. And then a chance meeting in a diner changed everything. All I had to do was make her see that all the love and support she needed was right in front of her.  

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

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

Summary: This is a rerelease. It has been re-edited with added scenes and chapters. If opposites attract, a nerd who loves partying and a quiet cowboy who doubts his worth are as opposite as they come. Greg Mitchell endured a childhood filled with abuse and addiction. He put all that behind him six years ago and has built a life that might not be perfect, but it’s simple. Between finishing his college courses and his work on the farm, he doesn’t have time for much. Not even Brian Stockwell, the cute accountant who he’s been in love with for as long as he could remember. When he lets his secret out in one drunken confession, his simple life becomes a complicated mess. Re-edited with added scenes and chapters. Warning: Contains scenes with domestic violence, both verbal and physical.

Word Count: Click here to reveal68,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Ryan was shocked when he saw the man who had rescued him from a psychotic co-worker three months ago, a man Ryan had been having very sexy dreams about ever since, standing on the same yacht as he was. Learning the man’s name was Jansen Branwyth should have rung a few bells, but Ryan was never one to keep up with the rich and powerful. Now this big, gorgeous man seemed to be in hot pursuit, relentlessly and expertly, backing the confused Ryan against a hard wall. Deliciously turned on by the man’s erotically suggestive flirting, Ryan finds himself now in competition with his former, incredibly beautiful girlfriend, vying for Jansen’s attention. As the heat ramps up, so does Ryan’s self-doubt, forcing Jansen into making it perfectly clear who he intends on taking with him off the boat, even if he must chase down, subdue and throw that certain someone over his shoulder to do it.

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

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

Summary: A farmer in the otherworld. What could possibly go wrong? Colton deserved a token for going through the portal. Was it stealing if he took lube? He should get a pass because it was otherworld lube. Who wouldn’t want some of that? It turns out that yes, it was still stealing. One thing was for sure, the otherworld was about as unique a vacation as Colton would get, even if he spent most of it in the dungeon. Except it’s not a cell they throw him into but a pit. And, of course, he meets his soulmate down there. Could his luck get any worse?

Word Count: Click here to reveal126000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: 'Your ridiculous Art. It’s as twisty as you are, and that’s saying something.' Kit Whitely has been exploited his entire life for his unique magical specialty, opening doors and locks. He's finally safe…until bounty hunter Alexander Locke arrests him for the use of illicit Art. But Alex is a man of divided loyalties and he intends to use Kit for illicit purposes of his own. How much trouble could one pissant little thief give him, anyway?

Word Count: Click here to reveal63,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Travel writer Rob Hanson has been from the summit of Mount Everest to the markets of Mogadishu. He loves adventure, he loves his job, and he loves the freedom of being single. At least that’s what he tells himself. Everything changes when an assignment takes him to a small, idyllic west-coast island where he falls in love with the local woodcarver. From the first moment he sets eyes on Mitch, he feels like he’s found his perfect match. But things are never that simple for Rob. Before long he finds himself involved with devious deals, jealous ex-lovers, and secrets from the past that refuse to go away. Rob knows that the only way to get what he needs is to reveal the truth. But does he have the courage to do what must be done in time to save himself and the man he loves?

Word Count: Click here to reveal86000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A stash of drugs. A twisted cop. A mob on the verge of self-destruction… Nao Murata is the new godfather of the Matsukawa syndicate. When Detective Yamada confronts Nao over a dead drug dealer, Nao knows his organization isn’t responsible. The Matsukawa doesn’t deal drugs… or does it? When Nao discovers drugs in a locker owned by his syndicate, he no longer knows who to trust. With the police bearing down on the Matsukawa, Nao must make unlikely allies to find out the truth. Can he discover who is betraying him before time runs out, or will everyone suffer for a crime he didn’t commit? Better Than Suicide is the second book in a Japanese mafia thriller series. If you like complex plots, gripping suspense, and a splash of romance, then you’ll love the next installment in Amy Tasukada’s Yakuza Path series. Buy Better Than Suicide to start the race against the clock today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: A bloody past haunts him. A devastating present lures him back... Nao hides from his violent past in the Japanese mob by opening a teahouse in Japan's cultural center, Kyoto. His past comes flooding back when he discovers a gravely injured man with a tattooed chest, a bloody knife, and a Korean business card. Saehyun would've died if not for Nao's help. He knows nothing of his savior's connection with the local mafia, but Saehyun has his own secrets. He commands the Korean mafia, the mortal enemy of Nao’s former syndicate. As Nao and Saehyun grow closer, so does the strength of the Korean mob. A shocking murder pulls Nao back into a past he'd all but abandoned. War is looming, and Nao must choose between protecting Saehyun or avenging the honor of his old mafia family. The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Tea is the first book in a series of Japanese mafia thrillers. If you like complex characters, blood-soaked violence, and twists you won't see coming, then you'll love Amy Tasukada's gritty crime masterpiece. Buy Blood Stained Tea to dive deep into the Asian mafia tale today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary:

A killer. A traitor. A deadly war that could take their love and their lives…

Ruling the Kyoto yakuza makes Nao Murata a perpetual target, especially with the Koreans encroaching into their territory. An attempt on his life at his mafia headquarters crosses a line. Setting up his beloved ally Aki as the would-be assassin crosses another. Nao knows the only way to save his friend’s life is to sever their growing bond and force Aki to fake his own death…

But Aki Hisona refuses to stay dead. Determined to expose Nao's would-be killer and save the man he loves, Aki goes deep undercover in the Korean underworld. But when he's asked to prove his loyalty, he risks becoming caught in a web of his own lies…

With Aki gone and the Kyoto mafia in grave danger, Nao fears his trust in others could be fatal.

Will Nao and Aki find the assassin in time, or will Nao's rule end in bloody chaos?

The Yakuza Path: Flowers of Flesh and Blood is the powerful fifth installment of The Yakuza Path thriller series. If you like gritty Japanese crime, richly-nuanced characters, and slow-burning gay romance, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s high-octane novel.

Buy Flowers of Flesh and Blood to slice into the Japanese underworld today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Kaleo Lakeford skyrocketed in the entertainment industry during his first year of university. 15 years later, he is a retired entertainer. Married for ten years with a 7-year-old daughter, he finds himself divorced and a single parent after his wife was caught in a string of public affairs. Devastated and trying to put the crumbs of his and his daughter’s life back together, he decides to take a break from the cameras and media for the holiday season and takes his daughter to his childhood home that he hasn’t set foot in since before he got married ten years prior. Destin Ashwell left university his first year to take care of his sick mother. With no education, he fought to provide for her for six years until she passed away from her illness. The bank seized their home, and he was living in his car when Lilah Lakeford finds him and brings him home. With her help, he finishes school and rebuilds his life, both of them leaning on each other as replacements for his dead mother and her estranged relationship with her son, Kaleo. At 33-years-old Kaleo will come home this holiday season to repair the fences around the rocky relationship he has with his mother, put the building blocks of his and his daughter’s life back together, and unravel past misunderstandings and misconceptions of his old schoolmate Destin, all while trying to keep the holiday cheer turned up for his 7-year-old daughter. Will Kaleo find the life he’s been waiting for all along back home? Or will his walls send him back to the only life he’s known for the past 15 years? This is a winter holidays story about a family healing with holiday traditions and cheer to warm the heart. This story comes with a single dad, one-sided dislike to friends to lovers, second chance on first crushes, unrequited love, mutual pining, past misunderstandings, learning to communicate, hurt/comfort, and healing from an emotionally and physically abusive marriage. But it’s also paired with colorful holiday adventures, the joys of a child, along with undeniable chemistry and sizzling heat while learning to love again. A found family, and a reconnected and put back together family.

Word Count: Click here to reveal59,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A hot encounter with a security guard afterhours plunges uptight, Wall Street broker Nate Dennis into obsession and possibly something more. Nate Dennis made corporate VP at thirty-one, won’t spend a dime for a taxi or laundry, and is socking away enough money to retire at forty-five and live large. He’s arranged his life to not make his mom’s mistake of falling in love with a guy who’s going to leave him broken. Besides, any relationship he’s tried has been a helpless puzzle. He’s better at hooking up, no strings attached, and in New York City, there’s no shortage of hot guys with sick bodies who are interested in the same thing. Then an afterhours encounter in the office with a new security guard Thiago has him questioning everything.