Books Tagged With where - state - minnesota

Word Count: Click here to reveal17000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: In the first book of the series, Life Lessons, MPD detective Mac and high school teacher Tony decided that a closeted relationship was worth the risks and difficulties. Now, in this free short story, they are briefly separated for the holidays by Tony's trip to visit his family. Tony on a Florida beach contemplates the joys and stresses of their hidden life, while Mac in the Minnesota snow handles a murder case that hits close to home. And in the evening, over the phone, they try to reach each other with words. With bonus short story - Getting It Right - Life Lessons Valentines story 1.8. Total 17,000 words

Word Count: Click here to reveal103000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sometimes a single moment defines a man For homicide detective Mac, it's been a good year. Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person. For Tony, it's been hard being in love with a man he can't touch in public. Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work. As the Minneapolis Police Department moves into a hot, humid summer, Mac is faced with a different challenge. A killer has murdered two blond women, and the police have no real clues. Mac hates to think that another murder may be the only way they'll make progress with the case. But when that murder happens, it hits close to home for Tony. And suddenly Mac faces an ultimatum: come out into the sunlight and stand beside Tony as his lover, or walk away and live without a piece of his heart.

Word Count: Click here to reveal41,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: It had been Tanner’s goal to make sure Camden didn’t waste another birthday all alone. Yep, his good buddy from college was hell bent on getting Camden “some action” as he put it. In fact, the idiot set up an entire weekend get-away on a private remote island where a group of men, including him, would be playing a very sexy game of chase and capture. Happy Birthday, Camden! Oh yes, it promised to be quite the game. An adult twist on "Capture the Flag". Very adult. Especially when it came to what the "flag" actually was and where it went. The fun, very adult part? You still needed to capture your opponent's flag to win. However, Camden had immediately ended up the prey and that big, sexy, dark haired, muscle bound, relentless god of a man, Gunner, was the hunter. And he was closing in. Shouldn’t it be the other way around since this was supposed to be Camden's birthday present? Well, it didn’t matter. There were going to be three rounds of this game. And it appeared like this round Camden was going down before he even reached the first check point. Yep. Going down on all fours, stripped, flag confiscated and – well – let’s just say he would be screwed. Oh yes, well screwed. So... what was the down side of losing again?

Word Count: Click here to reveal11200 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: This is a Life Lessons short story 3.5, occurring a week after Home Work - book 3. (* contains significant spoilers for Home Work*) Mac, Tony, and the kids have had a long complicated year. Each of them has dealt with fears and losses, joys and triumphs. As December 31st approaches, it's time to look forward to the new year, and what may be in store. Mac and Tony figure whatever happens, they can handle it, as long as they go through it together.   11,000 words

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

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

Summary: When a man hits rock bottom, he needs someone to remind him life comes with second chances. Luke Lafontaine lost everything— his father, their family farm, and a whole way of life. He’s survived the past year by putting one foot in front of the other in dead-end jobs to survive. Cleaning up city folks’ trash at the State Fair is just another two weeks of money between him and being back on the streets. But seeing Mason Bell in the parade— gorgeous, gay, out-of-his-league Mason— stirs dreams he thought he’d given up long ago. Mason left his small hometown for college in Minneapolis without looking back. It’s been fun and easy— classes and guys— but nothing has really felt important. Then he spots his high school crush, Luke, picking up trash at the Fair. Mason’s done with smooth and easy; he desperately wants a second chance with the boy he left behind. This is a rerelease of the 2018 Dreamspinner Press novella, with only minor editing changes.

Word Count: Click here to reveal119,600 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hi, my name is Trevor. I’m a wolf shifter. I say that like I know what I’m talking about. I don’t. I was simply running off a ton of steam one day when I was about eleven and bam! Okay, not quite that easy or fast but it happened when I was young and stupid. I’m also gay. I say that like I know what I’m talking about with that too. I simply don’t. I’m grown up now and living in the big city which has me too busy to much care about either one of those things. I get out and run my wolf when I can, trying like hell to stay out of the local pack’s territories. Belonging to a “family” just sounds like too much work. I honestly don’t have time for such things. Besides, I was told when I was young the color of my wolf was all wrong. Too silver I guess. Metallic. I thought it looked cool in the full moon. “An Alpha would kill ya soon as look at ya.” My grandpa used to say. Course he wasn't my real grandpa. Just an old man who lived down the street. But he was a shifter too and I thought he knew it all. He probably knew diddly shit either but a guy can’t be too careful. So romance? Way off the radar. But then someone started killing wolves. Started leaving lined up broken bodies all in a nice little row next to the high school in my home town and it got me to thinking. If a shifter is killed in his or her wolf state, does he/she stay that way? Were these dead wolves like me? I had to see what I could do. Kind of like a super hero. Oh yeah. Probably forgot to tell you this. I can turn invisible. Yep, Ghost Wolf to the rescue.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62,285 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealQuestioning, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary:   Inspired by the Edmund Fitzgerald's harrowing true story. This reimagining of tragic events is a gripping tale that delves into the depths of love, resilience, and the harsh realities that test the bonds of friendship. It’s an M/M romantic twist of fate tragedy that will leave you breathless with its emotional intensity. Ham and Echo, who have been inseparable since they were ten years old, share a bond that goes beyond friendship. When Ham is drafted into the army at nineteen, Echo, without hesitation, enlists as well, promising to have his back. Eleven years post-war, Echo is still haunted by what he has seen and done in Vietnam. Ham, now a family man with two sons, has managed to bury the past. But Echo, unable to escape the horrors of war, struggles to find his place in civilian life. Ham, recognizing his friend’s pain, takes it upon himself to guide Echo back to the light. He enrolls Echo in an anger management program and secures him a job on the ship he works on, the Gordon Lighton. As Echo’s feelings for Ham deepen, he dares to hope that Ham might feel the same. One stormy night aboard the Gordon Lighton, Echo stumbles upon a shocking secret-a human trafficking scheme operating right under their noses. As the weather worsens, the Gordon Lighton is subjected to the brutal onslaught of nature’s fury. The unthinkable question hangs palpably in the air. Will the Gordon Lighton weather the storm?      

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

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

Summary: Murder, trauma, and raising children - who said love was easy? Mac and Tony thought the hard part was over. They’re together openly as a couple, sharing a home and building a life with their two kids. It’s what they dreamed of. But daughter Anna struggles with the changes, Ben is haunted by old secrets, Mac’s job in Homicide still demands too much of his time, and Tony is caught in the middle. It’ll take everything these men can give to create a viable balance between home and work. Especially when life refuses to give them a break. (This suspenseful mystery-romance is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2012 original.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal117,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Mac is afraid he won't recover enough to go back to being a cop; Tony's afraid that he will. Three months after being injured, Detective Jared MacLean is healing, but he's afraid it may not be enough to go back on the job. He won't give up, though. Being a cop is written deep in Mac’s bones, and he'll do whatever it takes to carry his badge again. Tony used to wish he could have Mac safely home, but watching his strong husband battle disabilities is far from Tony's dream come true. When Mac is asked to consult on a case involving one of Tony's students, both men will have to face old demons and new fears to find a way to move forward together. (This is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2013 original, bringing Mac and Tony to their HEA.)

Word Count: Click here to reveal91000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary:

Word Count: Click here to reveal101,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Stoic men, who believe they’re happy alone, find the world turned upside down when their perfect someone stumbles across their path. Marc joins the Lonely Hearts chat room where men support men on their way to finding true love. He wants to believe that kind of love is possible for him, but his once-burned heart stops him from going all-in with anyone. The chat group’s philosophy is, “Figure out how you keep screwing up your happily ever after. Once you know, you’re more likely to find the true thing.” Skeptical as he is, Marc logs in and meets men in various degrees of getting there. At least he’s not alone. Luther truly loves his single life on the Bakken oil fields. William’s not sure he’ll ever measure up, let alone find someone he can be himself around. And Andrew still pines for a guy he hooked up with on a reenactment battlefield before he got blown up on a real one. One by one they start dropping like flies. Flies drunk on love. And sooner than he expects, Marc’s luck starts changing thanks to these new friends. Walk alongside these men as they find the men of their dreams and discover their happily ever afters. Lonely Hearts: a novella bundle includes: Bent Arrow, Stroke of Luck, Momo, My Everything, and Love on a Battlefield. blue-collar, reluctant lovers, rural, bisexual, gay, meet-cute, fated lovers, Halloween, love triangle, white-collar, opposites attract, multicultural, coming out, second chance, first time, disability, recovery romance, meant to be, military, artist, world traveler, coming of age, long distance, pen pals, gay romance, contemporary, MM romance, lone wolf, alpha male

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

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

Summary: When we’re both needy and tactile AF, it’s no wonder everyone thinks my best friend and I are an item. But that’s so not what’s going on. Cassius Britton, the mouthy basketball player for the Minnesota Eagles, is my soul mate. He has been since he shared his gummy bears and let me have all the red ones. Because that’s the kind of person he is—selfless and sweet. But he’s so much more than that. He’s the man who rescued me from my homophobic parents. He’s the man who brought me and my sister into his family home and wrapped us in love and sunshine. All of that, and so much more, makes us soul mates—which doesn’t mean he’s meant to be mine. And when I become a dad and have to balance being a cop in our small town while dealing with grief, of course he steps up, because that’s who Cassius is. But when I need to get married, when I need a man to step up and be by my side, maybe Cassius is too close. Too much of a risk. Because how can I possibly marry my best friend and not start to fall, especially when the secrets between us are so explosive, they’ll either burn us to the ground or set our hearts free forever?

Word Count: Click here to reveal80000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Some things you can’t just blurt out… right? When you’ve shared a kiss with your best friend and it blows your mind—and other parts of your body—it’s inevitable that everything changes. That’s the way it now is with me and Jayden Moore, my best friend who thought he could rock my world with no consequences, all while throwing me his signature grin. But this is Jayden we’re talking about. He gets himself into unexpected trouble no matter what, and when visiting Australia, I’m compelled to make sure he doesn’t get eaten by a croc or try to steal a kangaroo. Like the glutton for punishment I am, I follow him. And that’s all great until my desperation and big mouth send our worlds spiraling. Apparently, we’re now officially a couple. And because of course it goes one step further, I’ve now got my very own fake fiancé. Being in the media is one thing, but being inspiration for others creates a whole new set of guilt and problems. But we’ll tackle it together and find our way back to how things were. And if that’s not possible, just maybe Jayden and I can find ourselves with a brand-new label. One that’s real, and one I don’t run from. That’s the thing with Jayden: he has a way to extract my secrets. Whether he’s prepared for them or not.

Word Count: Click here to reveal84000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Some things you can’t take back. If you say those words, get caught glancing at his bulge, or share a heated kiss, it’s game over. The “no take backs” rule strikes, and there’s no way you can backtrack. That’s the way it’s always been with me and Nate Griffin, my old best friend who thought he could change the rules. It doesn’t matter that time and distance have pulled us apart. I’ve finally figured myself out and yanked my head out of my backside. Now, if only I can drag myself out of the closet and be the man I want to be for Nate… But I’m a pro basketball player who has no desire to be a poster boy. Not only that, Nate and I don’t even live in the same country. Nate, big-hearted guy he is, takes it all in his stride, and I can’t help but wonder if just maybe he’s too good for me. But hell if I can resist him. It all boils down to: Do I want to take anything back when it comes to Nate Griffin?

Word Count: Click here to reveal72000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Pining for your best friend sucks ass—and not the good kind of sucking. But I can’t back away, and I definitely can’t let go. Eddie Phelps is too damn important to me. He has my heart and soul. Well, he and his daughter, a ten-year-old who one day will run the world. It’s not like I can even blame Eddie for mixed signals or anything. He’s done everything right. He always does. Honestly, that’s part of his problem. But I won’t put pressure on him. That means it’s down to Eddie to see how freakin’ awesome a catch I am. I just have no idea how exactly I’ll get him to do that. Sure, I’m a professional basketball player. But once upon a time, so was he. It’s going to take something huge to get him to see beyond my age *cough immaturity cough*. But since Eddie isn’t one for making wrong moves, I’m not sure a grand gesture will work. That leads me back to pining, and hoping somehow, someway, he’ll see me as more than a joker. More than his best friend—even though I’m a kick-ass one. Maybe someday, he’ll know I’m exactly the person he needs to make the move on.

Word Count: Click here to reveal6400 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sometimes you have to go home again. When Bryce Edwards left Minnesota for the bright lights of Hollywood ten years ago, he was determined not to look back. He's built a solid acting career through his own hard work and talent. But when he finds himself unemployed right before Christmas, the memories he's been ignoring start to rise up and annoy him. Maybe it's time to take a different approach; maybe it's time to confront his past and not just use it as motivation for his next angsty scene. If he can make peace with what happened back then— the small-town bigots who drove him away, and his first boyfriend who refused to leave with him— maybe he'll be free to move on to something better. He's not sure what “something better” will look like, but he's finally ready to get on a plane, go home, and find out.   64,000 words

Word Count: Click here to reveal110000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: He can find a use for his lover’s hands…except when he needs help the most. Kellen is short on cash—at least until his first novel starts to sell—but he has plenty of friends. None of them, unfortunately, share his love of books. For that he turns to IM chats with Mike from his online book group. Though he manages to coax the shy, socially inept pathologist into a real-time meeting, Kellen has no intention of letting his new friend become more than a casual lover. Shaky finances and ailing mother aside, self-sufficiency is Kellen’s prime directive. Mike considers himself a nerd of the highest order—short, bespectacled, prone to blurting out the wrong thing at the worst possible time. Meeting Kellen face to face is the biggest risk of his life, and he wonders if they’ll get more body parts together than just their faces. First meeting leads to first date—first everything for Mike—and soon Kellen’s faced with breaking his just-friends-with-benefits rule. Yet as his elderly mother wanders deeper into senility, Kellen wonders if it’s better to lean on Mike rather than fall.

Word Count: Click here to reveal91,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Second chances at perfect love are rare. Years after they drifted apart, Hugo and Kevin’s passion easily reignites, but finding where Hugo fits in Kevin’s complex life is a challenge. A love story with a seventeen-year intermission. Hugo Thorson fell in love when he was sixteen. He’s maybe been in love since, but probably not. He’s been too busy directing plays to devote much time to men who can’t accept all of him. No one ever made him feel like his first love did. Kevin Magnus married a woman and has two children, but the marriage wasn’t happy. In the shadow of divorce, he’s striving to be a better father, but he’s still a work in progress. When Hugo and Kevin bump into each other at the lake, memories of their last kiss incite a new first kiss. Visions of the life they always wanted are vivid, but so much stands in the way of their dreams. Hugo is out and proud but no one knows Kevin’s bisexual. If Kevin comes out, he risks losing custody of his kids. If he doesn’t walk hand in hand with Hugo, he risks losing the love of his life. The curtain may never rise on their second act.

Word Count: Click here to reveal38,000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: The Minneapolis/Saint Paul 77th police precinct has been labeled as a group of misfits. It's unfair. In reality, they have loads of talent. Paranormal talent. Except, of course, no one knows that. Their job? Chasing and capturing all those creepy crawly things that go bump – or worse – in the night, and sending them back to their realms. In other words, they keep the people of the city safe and totally unaware that doors to other realms even exist. Nick, their boss, is the keeper of those cosmic openings. He is the only one who can find, open, shut, and more importantly, seal other-worldly realm doors, preferably with its scary and sometimes homicidal inhabitants on the other side. Vicious hungry monsters waiting for Nick to mess up. Or for an opening Nick misses. From a single tear comes an unspeakable horror. A dangerous vampire. Ferociously brutal, he is a killing machine. A creature so lethal it will take Nick’s entire team and absolutely all their power to hunt him down to send him back. And the last thing Nick needs is another partner. Especially one as sexy as Arrain. But Arrain intends on being more to Nick than just a partner. Much more. Something Nick cannot allow. Not with the devastating secrets he harbors. Except Arrain has a few secrets of his own and one thing he knows. Nick is next on the vampire’s list. The handsome monster wants not only to seduce the talented Door Keeper, but to suck his power over doors right out of him. If that happens, the world of humans is doomed. Can Arrain make Nick trust him in time to save him?

Word Count: Click here to reveal151000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: At seventeen, Rick Albright left his home, his parents and even his old name, rather than pretend to be straight. But being on his own was hard. When his big brother Sam found him, and insisted on giving him a place to stay, he didn't resist too long. Living with Sam is better than fighting just to survive, but it's not easy to find his balance in a simple, small-town life, after his time on the streets. Travis Brinkerhoff finally managed to come out in college, his second year anyway. It was the one bright side to losing his baseball scholarship and jock status. But without money for tuition, second year came to an abrupt end. He's back in his small Minnesota hometown, and back in the closet. Travis feels like he's trying to fit into a life he's outgrown. If he's going to survive, he has to figure out a way to be his own man, maybe even have his own man, without losing the family he loves. When he left the Marines, Sam Albright wanted nothing more than to find his missing younger brother. Mission accomplished. Now he's got an independent, possibly traumatized, openly gay young man on his hands, a girlfriend in a war zone overseas, and parents he has to lie to in order to keep the peace. Keeping it all together won't be easy, but Sam has never backed away from a challenge. 145,000 words