Books Tagged With when - period - 1950s

Word Count: Click here to reveal60,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The 1950s. Postwar exuberance. Conformity. Rock and roll. Homophobia. Russell tells himself he’ll marry Susie because it’s the right thing to do. His summer job coaching her water ballet team will give him plenty of opportunity to give her a ring. But on the team’s trip to the annual Aqua Follies, the joyful glide of a trumpet player’s solo hits Russell like a torpedo, blowing apart his carefully constructed plans. From the orchestra pit, Skip watches Poseidon’s younger brother stalk along the pool deck. It never hurts to smile at a man, because sometimes good things can come of it. Once the last note has been played, Skip gives it a shot. The tenuous connection forged by a simple smile leads to events that dismantle both their lives. Has the damage been done, or can they pick up the pieces together?

Word Count: Click here to reveal95000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: 1973 – At 53 years old, Bill, hadn’t expected to run into Bobby when he signed up for that medical convention in Houston. Fair to say they didn’t exactly part on good terms last time. Twenty years later, is Bill ready to finally admit his feelings, his sexuality, and to gather his courage to conquer his old lover and friend once more? A second chance romance with flashbacks to young love, addressing the struggles of coming out in an unwelcoming environment and building the life you really want.

Word Count: Click here to reveal63000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: For Jacob and Daniel, two young gay men aboard a Navy ship in WWII, the risks were high. Not just the risks of injury and death from Japanese planes and submarines, but the risk of discovery, of discharge, imprisonment or worse. Only a special kind of love was worth taking that chance. But from the moment Daniel met Jacob's eyes across a battle-scarred deck, he knew he had to try. Being together required figuring out what it meant to be gay and in love with another man, in an era when they could be jailed or committed for admitting the desires of their hearts. On a ship at war, their relationship was measured in stolen moments and rare days of precious leave, with no guarantees there would be a tomorrow. And if they survived the war, they would need even more luck to keep their love alive through all the years to come. 63,300 words This story was written for a photo and story request letter as part of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group Love is Always Write event. This is a free download in ebook. The audio book, narrated by Kaleo Griffith, is Whispersync'd to the free book on Amazon.

Word Count: Click here to reveal112566 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: David Knight has been plagued by dreams his entire life, only to have all memory of them vanish when he awakens. Now the dreams are coming with more frequency, and they seem to be drawing him to the Amazon. A scientist with a PhD in ichthyology and a dedication to learning all he can about lungfish, whose existence dates back to the Devonian era, David is determined to see what the Amazon holds. His hopes seem about to be answered when Dr. Carlos Avila contacts him. It seems the Brazilian archeologist discovered the remains of a previously undiscovered species on a tributary of the Amazon, and he’d like nothing better than for David to join the expedition to see if more of the creature can be found. Of course David leaps at the opportunity and flies to Pesadelo Bay to join the mismatched team. Once there, he discovers not only does Dr. Avila have his own agenda, but a former conquest as well as a friend who’d saved his life years before are part of the team and are engaged to be married. Meanwhile, the need to sail up the Amazon to find what… or who… is calling him there has become more and more pressing, and David must decide which is the most important—learning what Dr. Avila really is searching for or finding the answer to his dreams?

Word Count: Click here to reveal133,317 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sidebars are stories set in the Spy vs. Spook/Mann of My Dreams universe. The stories in this book are told from the points of view of Nigel Mann, Bryan Sebring, Jack Matheson—Wills’s dad—a pair of jeans, Michael Shaw, and finally, Wills begins to tell his story. Solo Tu—Nigel Mann, known as the CIA’s own Mr. Freeze, and Portia Sebring, the Ice Princess of the NSA, might seem like a match made in the Arctic, but it’s exactly what Anthony Sebring wants for his daughter. This story starts the Sidebars, taking place in 1958. Chasing Rainbows—If they’re lucky, Sebrings find not only their “one” but their own HEA. However, not all are lucky. Bryan Sebring knows who his “one” is, but the stubborn man is reluctant to face facts. Bryan has the one; will he ever have the other? How to Handle a Gay Son—Jack Matheson learns Wills, his beloved oldest son is gay, and we see how he handles it. The Lick Me, Suck Me, Fuck Me Jeans—Wills’s jeans explain how his owner becomes pretty much irresistible while wearing them. Where Have You Been, Willie Boy?—Michael Shaw has been William Matheson’s best friend since they met in the sixth grade. Things change when they start college, helped along by those lick me, suck me, fuck me jeans Wills had been given for a birthday present. But Michael isn’t gay, and he won’t let anyone label him as queer, not even for his best friend. But will his determination drive away the one man he values above all others? Into the Lion’s Den—The first of Wills Matheson’s stories. We see his relationship with Michael Shaw, with his family, and eventually with the WBIS and Mark Vincent, who becomes his boss.

Word Count: Click here to reveal9947 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Nigel Mann has learned to protect his emotions by creating a wall of ice between himself and the world. He’s been doing it for so long that no one remembers the little boy he used to be, least of all himself. His occupation as an agent for the CIA has led him to accept the sobriquet he’s earned: “Mr. Freeze.” Portia Sebring deciphers codes for the NSA. She’s a warm woman, but she doesn’t like men with grabby hands and isn’t afraid to slap them down. Because of this, she’s been labeled cold. She determines that if they insist on calling her the “Ice Princess,” she’ll give them exactly what they’re expecting to see: a woman cold as ice. These two were never meant to meet, but outside factors are in play, and ironically, when Mr. Freeze meets the Ice Princess, what else could result but sparks flying?

Word Count: Click here to reveal71,288 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The Sebring family has been involved with espionage for centuries, and as the firstborn son, Anthony Sebring II has every intention of fulfilling his parents’ expectations. To that end, when the United States is thrust into the Second World War, Tony enlists in the Navy, eager to enter the war and do his part to defeat the Axis powers that threaten the freedom and safety of his beloved Country. Instead, however, he finds himself assigned to a position in DC, working surreptitiously with his father. Tony is gay and is comfortable with his homosexuality, although he isn’t able to act on it -- his devotion to his country overshadows that. Meanwhile, his father is unaware and arranges a marriage with a local girl. Before Tony can refuse, Allegra reveals she’s already married to a young soldier of whom her parents disapprove, and she begs Tony for help. As a gentleman, he can’t say no, but this causes problems with his siblings, Jefferson, Bryan, and Portia, who are upset he never told them he was involved with a young lady. While Tony is fiercely devoted to his siblings, most especially his youngest brother, he can’t divulge Allegra’s secret to them, since it isn’t his to reveal. Things have a way of coming out, however, especially when they learn Allegra is pregnant. When Tony refuses to marry her, even after their meddling fathers threaten to have her marriage annulled, he’s banished to London to work with an obscure branch of British security. Some months later, the war in Europe ends and he learns he’s to be sent to the Pacific Theater. En route, he stops in New York, where he takes the opportunity to see his siblings, only to be told by the woman he’d thought was his mother that he isn’t a Sebring, and he’s never to contact the only people he loves -- the secret about his birth could ruin everything he holds dear. Tony leaves without revealing this to them. But Sebrings, no matter what their age, have the ability to ferret out secrets. How will they react when they learn the truth of his birth, and how will Tony deal with the loss of the one person who means the world to him?

Word Count: Click here to reveal9889 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In 1950s America, rock ‘n roll is sweeping the nation and the drive-ins are full of greasers, jocks, and girls in poodle skirts. Recently graduated from college, Billy Hadley is eager to change the direction his life is heading, although crashing his car wasn’t exactly how he planned on doing it. Tall, sexy mechanic, Gene Milgram, rides to the rescue on his motorcycle. Billy takes one look at him and can’t fight the immediate attraction. Will these two take a chance on each other and find love?

Word Count: Click here to reveal140000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Two years after finishing his tour of duty in the Occupational Forces in Japan, Damson O'Reilly arrives in Siena, Italy. Sight-unseen at a local auction, he buys an abandoned Tuscan farmhouse in which he aims to write, paint, and start a new life. The house, passed over at auction, becomes an impulse buy when it's put up for a final time. He's prepared for a semi-ruin, happy to turn his hand to renovating the house - however, what he's totally unprepared for are three dead bodies, one of which he stumbles over when he arrives at La Mensola, the name of his isolated farmhouse on the road between Siena and Montepulciano. Against the backdrop of a series of grisly murders, The Road to Montepulciano is the story of a young man, still suffering the scars of war, who, despite betrayal of trust and surrounded by a complex web of lies, finds friendship, love and the warmth of community.