Books Tagged With what - emotion - survivor guilt

Word Count: Click here to reveal77000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sasha is a healer forced to take on the role of a warrior when his clan is attacked. Trapped in his caravan, the only weapon he can lay hands on is Ryka, the legendary sword that has been in his family for generations. To Sasha’s horror, the blade takes control of his body and turns him into a ruthless killer. Worse, Ryka sets in motion an irreversible process that will bind them together for life — if Sasha can survive the bonding. Jace is a mercenary soldier, charged with protecting his commander’s brother, Eredwyn, on a journey through the Middle Kingdoms. When Eredwyn’s sometimes-prophetic visions lead them to the dying Sasha, Eredwyn insists that they must save him. As Sasha struggles to come to terms with Ryka and his need to avenge his clan, Jace finds himself torn between his orders to protect Eredwyn and his growing feelings for Sasha. Can Jace walk the fine line between duty and desire, or will Sasha’s plans for vengeance lead all three men to their deaths? (~77,000 words)

Word Count: Click here to reveal82406 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Two unique couples, totally aware of each other's existence, are inexorably drawn together as chaos over campus assault erupts at the university which is the focus of their lives and work. Each man is affected differently, but for each it becomes the center of their world and the vortex around which their relationships spin out-of-control. David and Nate, professors at the university and a loving couple see their partnership torn asunder as Nate choose the path of activism after he is attacked becoming a leader in the 'End Assault' movement. David refuses to support his militant stance, fearing that consequences will destroy his career and Nate, feeling abandoned and betrayed, begins to doubt their relationship. Colin, an Irish Sergeant in the campus police force, is a legend on campus. A fierce protector of assault victims, he is merciless in pursuit of their assailants. Joshua is a Title IX consultant assigned to work with Colin to help resolve these difficult cases. Their relationship quickly becomes passionate but Colin clings to his independence fighting against the feelings which draw him to Joshua. Eventually, a dark secret from his past erupts into an explosive quarrel which ends their relationship and causes Joshua to flee, leaving Colin with no idea where he's gone or how to find him. It would take a miracle to resolve these issues and bring these men together. Or perhaps it would take Love's Magic.    

Word Count: Click here to reveal144000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Mason I've escaped a past that would have destroyed most men: used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me. An unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gives me a chance at a new life. Though I've started over, my scars run deep; I'm an LGBTQ fantasy graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I'm terrified of the world, and of my tormenters finding me. When I discover that the stranger who has saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth. Can I ever really be free if I'm still afraid of my past and the people who have shattered me?   Lee Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancé slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can't heal. I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage. Pain and grief lead me to some acts I'm not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I'm determined to keep it strictly business, no emotions involved. However, when I discover that Mason Malone isn't a high-end escort, but a battered young man who has been forced into a life of pain and degradation, I'm frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers, "Please..." and the barriers I have built around my heart shatter. Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I have never been able to forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn't recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I'm terrified of what will happen when my secrets are discovered. As both our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Or will the discovery of the truth create a chasm too wide to bridge? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul-shattering pain?     BIO Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her loving (and long-suffering) husband, snarky children, and furry menagerie. She has been writing since she was a child but never had the impulse to publish until she was introduced to the world of MM Romance. Now her husband has to put up with a variety of new ways to say "penis", and her children aren't allowed to tell their teachers what she writes. For more information on Mellanie's upcoming work, join her Facebook group "Misfits & Malcontents"    

Word Count: Click here to reveal130000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Guilt-ridden after the massacre of his family, Isaac Salvatore turned to binge drinking to escape the pain. Now twenty-four years old, Isaac is a recovering alcoholic woefully out of practice in the magical arts, leaving his fire affinity hanging on the edge of disaster. After a month of rehab, he returns to Beacon Hill and his family, determined to remain sober, learn to control his magic, and figure out a plan for his life that doesn't involve drinking. Constantine Batiste is the oldest, most powerful vampire in the city. Born in ancient Gaul, the bastard son of a Celtic king, his long life has been shrouded in tragedy and horrors. Recent mistakes have left him wary and determined to guard his clan from all foes. When two of his clan members fall victim to an ancient evil, he summons the Necromancer of Boston for aid. Accompanying his older brother to the Tower is the handsome young fire mage once wounded by Constantine's arrogance, and their encounter reignites an attraction that burns within both Constantine and Isaac. The answer to who is targeting the vampires of Boston is buried in the dark, early days of Constantine's transition to an immortal life. Isaac finds himself saddled with a painful insight into the evil cutting a swath through the supernatural population of Boston. While his brother, Angel, takes over the hunt to find and stop the threat to the city, Isaac struggles to find a balance between helping his brother and finding his own purpose and place in the world, free from his brother's shadow. Falling in love wasn't part of his plan, but mastering the flames that burn between him and Constantine soon becomes the most important thing in his life, even as an ancient evil seeks to destroy them.

Word Count: Click here to reveal17.500 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: When Ezra and Titus come across an old sign indicating the Dupree estate was once an inn, they consider reopening it as The Heart-Shaped Gate Bed and Breakfast. Not long afterwards, they discover someone has already been lodging there, down in the dark, spooky basement. Ezra wants to turn the trespasser in to authorities, but Titus, still struggling with the past, has a soft spot for the guy who seems lost. Even he has to admit, however, that something about the man’s story and odd behavior just doesn’t add up. Tales of a past love have a familiar ring, a fictional one, and the man’s timeline of events simply doesn’t add up barring some sort of paranormal explanation. Can Titus and Ezra get over the bumps in their relationship? Will the new guy steal Titus away? And if he succeeds, what nefarious fate might he have in mind?

Word Count: Click here to reveal150,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: After the cruel rejection from their families, Oliver and Jack brave the dangers they left behind to return to London, where they take up residence at the Three Cripples. The bedsit they share is small and riddled with bed bugs, but what does that matter when there is always cool beer on tap and the diversions of London are spread out before them? While Jack returns to picking pockets, Oliver works in the tavern, and struggles against the endless tide of dirt and the loss of everything he thought he stood for. Amidst their happiness and plans for future contentment, Workmaster Chalenheim kidnaps them, sexually assaults Jack, and leaves them both for dead. Will Oliver and Jack’s love for each other prove stronger than hate? On The Isle of Dogs is the fifth book in Christina E. Pilz’s Oliver & Jack gay historical romance series. If you enjoy stories about forbidden love battling against the dark forces that want to tear them apart, then you’ll enjoy this tale, so pick up a copy today!

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: Alpha werewolf Eli Hammond returns from a fishing trip to discover a nasty surprise—five members of his pack murdered and the rest missing. He needs help locating and rescuing his pack mates, but the supernatural council in Asheville, North Carolina, turns him away. Except for one man. As they work together, Eli is stunned—and not especially thrilled—to discover half-elf Arden Gilmarin is his destined mate. But as Arden and his friends struggle to help Eli in his quest, Eli surrenders to the demands of his body—and his heart. They’ll need to bond together, because the forces opposing them are stronger and more sinister than anyone predicted. The evil has its sights set on Arden, and if Eli wants to save his mate and the people he is entrusted with protecting, he’s in for the fight of his life.

Word Count: Click here to reveal60869 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Storms pass and, in their wake, new beginnings can be found. Talented young artist Jonty Trelawn paints the sea as self-inflicted punishment. For almost a year he has hidden away from life, survivor’s guilt consuming him, but the time has come to move on. He conceives the idea of a charity art auction in support of the local lifeboat station and the men and women who saved his life. He hopes the tribute to his family will release him from the sea’s invisible chains. Carpenter Jed Curnow is bound to the water in a different way. As deputy coxswain of the Govenek, the local lifeboat, his world revolves around the close-knit crew. He thinks nothing of risking his life to save others. Saving Jonty is less dangerous but just as important to him. He wants nothing more than to give Jonty the love and security he needs. Jed’s dominant personality calls to Jonty’s more submissive nature but will he ever allow himself to be happy? It’s up to Jed and his best friend Marmite to help Jonty put his tragic past behind him and live for the future.

Word Count: Click here to reveal113803 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Tragedy struck one night, leaving Nathan with a permanent limp and a curse—the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. For six years, Nathan’s done everything he can to avoid them. But a persistent ghost, Alan, haunts Nathan every chance he gets until Nathan reluctantly agrees to reunite him with his fiancé for a chance to find peace. A turn of fate and a stolen CD brings Erik into Nathan’s life. Erik is everything Nathan believes he doesn’t deserve. But Erik is Alan’s lost love. Now he must untangle the threads of Alan’s death while hoping to keep the newfound love of his life. Will Nathan decide to expose his supernatural burden, or let Alan wander without rest forever? Love and trust hang in the balance as Nathan confronts the ghosts of his past and the man who threatens to shatter the wall guarding his heart.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: All his working life, Kurt lived in a world of secrets. Those secrets killed his best friend, Nick. One secret, though, will tear his world apart – the one he’s keeping from himself. December, 1988: For Kurt Nash, CIA operative, a trip to Pemberton in Australia’s south-west to scatter Nick’s ashes should have been routine, except for the guilt plaguing him, and the trauma of the events that nearly killed him as well. When he encounters Lucy, Nick’s fiancée, returned to celebrate Christmas with her brother, Don, Kurt realises the time has come to tell Nick’s story. But Kurt will discover that opening up can be like lighting a fire in a forest. After all, when a forest fire burns, it is hard to predict what will catch and which direction it will turn. But as Kurt begins to find himself hidden under all the layers of secrets, will his growing friendship with Don and Lucy be enough to enable him to deal with those secrets? Will he be strong enough to come to terms with what he has been hiding from himself?

Word Count: Click here to reveal142000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hank Schatz~ One of my toughest decisions was to join the Army after graduating high school. My second toughest was to decide it was time to get out. I wanted more than that life had to offer—namely the return of my humanity and a life beyond the pain that had leached into my soul during my deployments. Without a hint at what to do next, I said goodbye to my Army life and headed home to Missouri. There were things I’d been hiding from my family for too many years—a secret that had nothing to do with my career as an Army Ranger. It was time I began to live my truth, but how to start, I didn’t know. I was aware of one thing for sure—I didn’t want to be lonely anymore. ## Reed Bayless~ I had a job I loved as a Special Education teacher at Carver Middle School in central Missouri. The kids were amazing, and their parents were supportive, unlike my last school where the parents believed their expensive tuition relieved them of their obligations to actually participate in their children’s education. Sadly, I was still alone, and I was getting a little long in the tooth to play the one-night game. Unexpectedly, my diamond brought her brother to the Christmas Eve service at the local Lutheran church, and I found myself off-balance by the gorgeous man. I felt there was a sadness about him that made me want to hold him in my arms until his hurts healed. Of course, he was an Army Ranger, the toughest of the tough and the straightest of the straight. Between Ranger Hank, and his dog, Cosmo, I wanted things I couldn’t imagine were possible. Or were they?  This work of fiction is approximately 142,000 words in length and doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. It is the first book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.”

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: ome scars can't be seen. For over a year now, it's been the same thing. At six o'clock every night Connor starts watching the door for him. Like clockwork, every night the guy with the sad eyes comes into the bar, orders a single drink, and leaves again. He never speaks. Never smiles. Just drinks and leaves. Until the night he orders a second drink and Connor finally gets him to speak. After the brief conversation, Connor is more intrigued than ever – but it's not until a chance meeting after work one evening that he even learns the guy's name. Two years ago, a fire left Lucas with extensive scarring. A year ago, his partner, unable to cope with the aftermath of the event, left him. Battling nightmares, depression, and survivor guilt, Lucas turns more and more often to vodka for company. Until he drops his pizza order and the guy who steps in to help him is the bar tender who has been serving his drinks for the past year. How can Connor understand the true horror of what happened to Lucas? How can he convince Lucas to accept his feelings and start looking to the future instead of the past? Recovery is a stand-alone contemporary gay romance.

Word Count: Click here to reveal24264 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Word Count: Click here to reveal107000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Note: These erotic novels were originally published with Samhain Publishing through my pen name, Dani Worth. Only the cover has changed. The content is the same. KITHRA (The Kithran Regenesis Volume 1) Lux Moyans likes piloting missions for The Company–exploring new galaxies, searching for the next precious metal. When her second-in-command, Kol Frega, informs her they’ve been ordered to Kithra, she’s furious. A year grounded on an uninhabitable planet? But the ship–the one Kol designed–is the only one that can withstand the planet’s gases…and Lux is one of the few pilots who can navigate the debris fields caused by the explosions that killed most of the planet’s inhabitants. Kol and a Kithran survivor will be her only company on planet. When they pick up Egan Lothbrun, Lux knows there will be trouble. Already something is brewing with Kol and her attraction to both men would be a problem with anyone else. But Lux doesn’t do exclusives. Or so she thought. And when she learns Kol and Egan share a painful past, she realizes getting Kithra livable won’t be her only challenge. Keeping her heart intact might be harder. REPLICANT (The Kithran Regenesis, Volume 2) Jarana Gothbrun is the best Tracker in the galaxies, famous for tagging Replicants—the elusive shape-shifting aliens who can take on humanoid forms once they have someone’s DNA. For Jarana, it’s personal. A Replicant kidnapped her right before massive explosions destroyed her world. Grief made her hard and a thirst for revenge has fueled her every move since. Her current job? Bag two Replicant escapees from a high-security prison planet. Unfortunately, one of them is in deep hiding on Kithra. That means returning to her destroyed planet and facing the loss of everyone she loved. When Jarana uses an untested device to force the well-loved Maska’s shift to his native form, it puts him in grave danger. It also pisses off everyone in the small, growing community working to rebuild Kithra. Her plan for a quick exit is ruined and not only does she have to deal with angry former friends, she also has to fight her attraction to both Maska and Erik, a man with his own issues because he had no idea his fiancé is actually a man. CATALYST (The Kithran Regenesis, Volume 3) Vala Gorun’s family was off planet when Kithra exploded. Although she’s back home helping with the rebuild, something she saw all those years ago still haunts her. So she hires a Tracker to find the human man she once loved—the one who betrayed her in the worst possible way. Jackson Canfield can’t afford to be found. Not now, when his revenge is almost complete. Unfortunately, instead of the Tracker on his trail, his hired guns grab Vala and a young Gwinarian man instead. Trapped on a pirate vessel with Bastian, a ridiculously attractive but younger man, Vala has more than enough to occupy her. When the pirates leave them as unwilling guests of the very man she’d driven crazy with her teen crush all those years ago, Vala learns Jackson is not who she thought he was. And now the three must work together to reveal the truth behind Kithra’s destruction—if they can control the explosive passion that erupts between them.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Someone has it out for Rialto.  Ian Banner is loving his hectic life. He’s newly married, ready to start a family, and opening a new restaurant. All his dreams are coming true. The last thing he needs is a problem with his restaurant. But when one attack after another comes, he grows convinced he has another enemy. Ian tries to handle things by himself, but his friends are soon drawn in when the attacks become violent. That’s when Ian realizes the target isn’t Rialto. It’s him. Rialto is the final installment in the Unbreakable Bonds series and features sexy times, Daciana snuggles, overprotective family, fire, and of course, code names.

Word Count: Information not available

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

Summary: For the record, putting the Sousa clan to sleep for five hundred years is not Amaru’s fault. At least he’s found his two, count ‘em two sexy, hunky, adorable, overprotective dragon mates because of it, and they’ll help him wake up his clan. So why. Are his mates. AVOIDING HIM? Especially Luka. This should not be as hard as they’re making it. What’re the proper tools to fix relationship problems? Is it screwdrivers? Tags: Chaos thine name is Amaru, one keeper is not sufficient, hence triad, lost clans, malfunctioning magic, confused dragons, the whole enchilada, 500 years is one hell of a power nap, zipper are awesome, Ravi has twins, pray, relationships are work, hope is too, who needs sleep when there is nookie, don’t touch the screwdrivers, all unattended electronics will be taken apart, breaking traditions, dragon cuddles are the best cuddles

Word Count: Click here to reveal68000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Cameron has given up on romance, after a difficult childhood made it hard for him to trust enough for intimate relationships to develop. But mostly he's happy with the life he's built for himself. When two paranormal investigators show up at the home he recently inherited, claiming he may be in danger, he sends them packing, convinced they're nothing but con men. Until several incidents prove they're telling the truth. The past Cameron tried so hard to leave behind is coming for him, and it's angry.

Word Count: Click here to reveal57,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Rudy and Clay are deeply in love and expecting the birth of their boys thanks to Clay’s twin sister, Clarice. Tragedy strikes, and Rudy and Clay become parents to not just their twins, but Clarice and Patrick’s three little girls as well. They desperately need help with the five kids so Rudy hires a ‘manny’, Jackson Frost. But Frost comes with a horrible past. Guilty of betrayal, and for almost killing Clay while they were in the military, he is freshly released from prison and desperate for work. The man is definitely not Clay’s first choice as a caregiver for his children. Strange things begin to happen, leading them to think that Patrick and Clarice were not just a random attack. Then Rudy is suddenly kidnapped. The clock is ticking and despite their past, Jackson and Clay must join forces to find Rudy before he is killed, or worse…  

Word Count: Click here to reveal32000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Haunted by his years at war, Boston paramedic Gael Dominic spends his time saving other people’s lives. An empty house, a single friend, and living at work, Gael is not content with his existence, but he’s close. Gael was expecting his overnight shift on Thanksgiving to be the same as always—manic crowds, heart attacks...until catastrophe strikes, and Boston’s streets run with blood. On the run from an abusive and politically powerful father, Silas has been on the cold, mean streets of Boston for days, injured, hungry and alone. When he wakes up in the middle of a nightmare, he expects to die in the same alley he was calling home. Brought together by tragedy, Silas and Gael can’t resist their attraction. Gael may have saved Silas, but it’s his alleyway angel who brings Gael back to life. As Christmas approaches, Silas and Gael learn how to love, despite their pasts. And as Silas' past closes in, Gael learns the greatest gift he could ever give isn't something bought in a store, but freely given from the heart.

Word Count: Click here to reveal22000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Javier Fernandez is a climate scientist living in a research station near the South Pole. Since his husband was killed in a car crash, he’s preferred to be alone, and is less than thrilled to have a junior scientist thrust upon him by his rich patron. Col Steele is a trans man fleeing a bad break-up. He is ready for the next step in his career, and eager to spend Christmas anywhere but at home. When a crack in the ice separates the two men from safety, they are forced to come to terms with their own losses and each other. About the Escape From the Holidays series: For the second year in a row, Mischief Corner Books is putting out a winter holiday collection – ten stories revolving around various December holidays: The end of year holidays can get overwhelming for anyone. Things to do. People to see. Last minute work obligations to take care of. Sometimes it’s just easier to escape from it all, running away from the responsibilities and expectations, or ignore the underlying disappointment from relatives who don’t see eye-to-eye with you. Because escaping the holiday grind can lead to new, unexpected paths, and breathe new life into one that’s been stuck in a rut. Giving something to run to instead. Sometimes, getting away from it all lets you know what you really have. Sometimes, taking a chance on the unknown leads to what you really want.