Books Edited By NIcki Richards

Word Count: Click here to reveal50655 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: ‘Old actors never die’ shouldn’t be literally true. Carrington Loveless III, skim-blood vampire and senior officer of Philly’s paranormal police department, has long suspected that someone’s targeting his squad. The increasingly bizarre and dangerous entities invading their city can’t be a coincidence. So when a walking corpse spouting Oscar Wilde attacks one of his officers, Carrington’s determined to uncover the evil mind behind it all. As a rare books librarian, Erasmus Graham thought he understood some of the stranger things in life. Sharing a life with Carrington has shown him he didn’t know the half of it. They’ve survived attack books and deadly dust bunnies together and got through mostly unscathed. Now his world and his vampire’s appear ready to collide again. Books are missing from the Rare Book collection—old tomes of magic containing dangerous summonings and necromancy. He’s certain whoever has been stalking the Seventy-Seventh is composing their end game. It’s going to take a consolidated effort from paranormal police, librarians and some not-quite-authorized civilians to head off the impending catastrophe.

Word Count: Click here to reveal109959 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Book one in The Rhythm of His Blood series When inspiration shows up in person, can it only end in blood, sweat and fear? When British rock  latest release, there’s time for a little fun. During a visit to a strip club with a friend, he hears one of his songs being played, and he can’t resist a chance to meet the sexy dancer performing on stage. El Molino’s star performer, Xavier Gavrilov, is so much more than a pretty face and what starts off as a night of passion soon turns into something deeper as Xavier begins to fall for Rayne, and to care for his oddball bunch of aging porn-star friends. But Rayne has a dangerous secret, a craving for blood, a need that Xavier is more than happy to fulfill. The singer must soon go home to England, though, and things take a darker turn when he and Xavier come to the attention of Frisco’s vampire elite. When Rayne departs for London, Xavier tries to return to his normal life but is snatched by vampires working for the Master of San Francisco and plunged into a violent world he never knew existed. To save him, Rayne must return to the city, but he will have to call in favors from old friends if they are to safely navigate the dangers of vampire politics and maintain the powerful bond that is growing between them.    

Word Count: Click here to reveal59470 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: A warlock’s blood gives him life. It can also bring his death. It’s no wonder Evrain Brookes, newly fledged warlock, is feeling the strain. A coven of power-hungry witches is after his blood. Literally. A psychotic warlock wants him dead. His godfather’s training regime is about as much fun as chewing on nettles and an overweight, scarily perceptive cat has moved into his house. His boyfriend Dominic yearns for a normal life, or at least a safer one. He accepts his role both as Evrain’s submissive partner and as the conduit through which he channels his gift – but he’s afraid for his lover and the lengths Evrain’s enemies might go to in order to fulfil their lust for power. When Evrain falls victim to a plot between the Octis Coven and malevolent warlock Symeon Malus, it’s up to Dominic to rescue him. With the help of the two other North American warlocks, a mysterious cat and an old enemy, Dominic takes steps to get his lover back. There’s a high price to pay and no guarantee that the risks he must take will pay off but Evrain is worth going through hell for, even if it costs Dominic his life.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal40000 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Officer Alex Wolf responds to a lot of ‘paranormal’ calls that aren’t. Exotic pet birds aren’t monsters and unusual dog breeds aren’t aliens. It’s a good thing he likes the animal control officers, but he both yearns for and dreads those calls where he runs into ACO Jason Shen. Jason’s scent is so delicious that Wolf has a difficult time humaning around him. Animal control calls take a disturbing turn, though, when Wolf and his lizard-man partner, Krisk, discover the impossibly mummified bodies of rats and an unfortunate mother cat. The rescue of the cat’s sole surviving kitten not only gives Wolf more time with Jason, which is both perplexing and wonderful, but also leads to dangerous discoveries. Something inconceivable stalks the city and its officers of the law. Wolf has to figure out what it is before it can attack and drain the life from the people and the kitten he loves.

Word Count: Click here to reveal59668 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sometimes, using a safe word gets you exactly what you want. Canadian Zac Denman is young, rich and submissive. He’s also a kidnap risk who’s grown up in the shadow of bodyguards and security precautions. All he wants is to work out what kind of submissive he is in a safe environment and thanks to his very understanding father, he’s getting the chance to do exactly that. The Retreat in England is safe, discreet and willing to provide a selection of Doms for Zac to play with—a great way of discovering what he is, and isn’t, into. Dale Gastrell is a friend of The Retreat’s owner, a member of The Underground BDSM club and a soldier turned landscape gardener thanks to an inconvenient bullet. Two weeks providing covert protection to a wealthy client who won’t even know he’s there seems like a perfect break from city life. But life is never simple, and when Dale and Zac are thrown together, Dale has to fight his attraction. Zac is from a whole different world of wealth and privilege. He’s not for the likes of Dale who has to watch as Doms arrive at The Retreat to give Zac a taste of submission.

Word Count: Click here to reveal50049 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Sooner or later, something, or someone, has to break. Tyr Blackstone is a bodyguard for hire assigned to protect the nephew of a wealthy businessman. He’s prepared to babysit a spoiled rich kid but instead finds himself guarding a young man held virtual prisoner. Milo Forbes wants nothing more than to escape his brutal uncle’s clutches but is trapped. If he runs, his uncle will withdraw funding for his brother Matthew’s care. On his twenty-third birthday, Milo will inherit a vast fortune, but his uncle has been plotting for years to prevent that happening. As the date approaches, his uncle sets in motion a set of plans designed to destroy Milo’s mental stability. Tyr, tasked by his mysterious employer with keeping an eye on Milo’s uncle as well as his charge, soon realises that Warren Forbes is evil, concealing his greed for wealth beneath a veneer of concern for Milo’s wellbeing. Forced proximity with a fragile young man means Tyr’s growing feelings for Milo are tempered by guilt. His need for control and Milo’s willingness to submit are thrown into stark relief by their circumstances. Can Milo survive the trauma his uncle has subjected him to, accept his found family and find his happily ever after?   Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence, and of abusive punishment.

Word Count: Click here to reveal57949 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Hoax animals and a consulting vampire on the prowl—Jason never thought having a cop boyfriend would be this hard. All Animal Control Officer Jason Shen ever wanted was a quiet life of rescuing lost kittens and helping animals in need. Having a paranormal cop boyfriend guarantees an end to the quiet part. What at first seems a random encounter with jackalopes in the park might be more than chance and when State Paranormal sends a handsome, charming vampire to consult with the Seventy-Seventh, he finds his relationship with Alex on shaky ground. Officer Alex Wolf hoped his humaning skills were improving but now he can’t unravel the strange politics at State Paranormal or why Jason’s family seems to hate him. There’s no time to puzzle things out either. Bizarre animals are loose in the city, Jason’s acting strange, and is the vampire captain from State flirting with him? Wolf’s going to have to keep his head in the game if he’s going to have any chance of putting the pieces together and keeping the city safe from the strange critters terrorizing its streets.

Word Count: Click here to reveal74271 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: AURA’s offices have been quiet since the mage tower incident—as quiet as they can be for an agency dedicated to policing holes in reality—and the department heads have been free to turn their attention back to mundane matters. The return to quiet bureaucracy gives AURA’s Director of Research, Kai Hiltas, the time to turn his energy to a new issue—a young drow with unusual and dangerous powers named Ryld. Though his shadows always lurk at the edges of his vision, Ryld does his best to live peacefully and not let them hurt anyone. He has his work, his apartment and a succession of minders assigned by AURA who are, ostensibly, there to keep him safe in his new world and to prevent him from causing any scenes with his shadows. Most of the time, the arrangement works. But one disastrous incident causes Ryld’s minder to leave him unattended and lost—the precise thing he was hired to prevent. To replace the faithless minder, Kai suggests Hank, a half-goblin accountant recently in the middle of a string of terrible luck, while Kai works out how best to get Ryld the magical training he so desperately needs. For his part, Hank truly likes Ryld and insists he would be happier working as Ryld’s companion rather than as a controlling minder. As Hank and Ryld slowly come to terms with sharing space—and eventually more—Kai’s search for a teacher for Ryld takes them out west on the invitation of the Elvenhome’s aelfe queen and right into the lap of inter-elven feuds, ancient prejudice, conspiracies and trafficking rings. What should have been a pleasant visit soon turns into more than even forever-scheming Kai can handle.  

Word Count: Click here to reveal22219 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Secrets don’t stay hidden forever. Hatchet has a thing for the enigmatic Mr Smith, Horatio Trap’s spokesman. He’d love to get his hands on the pretty man and show him how good it feels to take orders for once rather than hand them out. He’s had his eye on Smith for years and he’s running out of patience. The Wyverns’ involvement in the drug trade is limited to stealing money from the cartels, they don’t want junk peddled on their turf. When Trap orders them to destroy a crack cocaine factory in Phoenix, they are happy to oblige. But Smith throws a spanner in the works by posing as a potential buyer, putting himself in mortal danger. Hatchet and The Wyverns come up with a plan to fake Smith’s death, muscle in on the deal and convince the cartel to do business with them instead. But when Hatchet’s cover is blown he’s left to save a bunch of illegals, destroy the drugs and wipe the factory from the face of the planet. It’s all in a night’s work for The Wyverns—but there are still secrets to uncover and the mysterious Horatio Trap, and his mind games, can’t stay hidden forever.

Word Count: Click here to reveal9061 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Summer fun. Summer sun. What’s a knife thrower to do when the lion tamer he wants doesn’t want him? Well, go out and get his groove thing on, of course. Unless…that lion tamer turns out to be his mate. Then the fireworks will really start. The circus is a place for the unusual, a sanctuary for the wanderer. For the circus knife thrower Jake Gallinari, it was the place he stumbled to as a child. He arrived broken in spirit and body, hungering for affection. He found love, acceptance, and a family to call his own. Blaine Leander needed a sanctuary as well. The lion tamer had no idea that he would one day see his mate in the circus, no less. For seven years he’s watched Jake grow into a man, afraid to take the step to make Jake his own. It’s summer, and with the bright sun and the blue sky, these two men have a chance for life to change. Just what will it take to make that happen?

Word Count: Click here to reveal30413 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: Going once, going twice, sold! For sub Ethan Peltier, selling himself to the highest bidder will set him up for life. Merrick Tremayne sees the sub auction as an opportunity to avoid gold diggers and try out the lifestyle he craves. A business transaction with a willing participant is something he understands. Restoring Merrick’s family home in Cornwall gives the men a chance to get to know each other while they work together. Neither of them expects to fall in love, but the drama of some traumatic events reveals the intensity of their feelings. Will the auction contract stand, or will they find a way to let each other know that defaulting might be the only option?

Word Count: Click here to reveal58408 (Click here to hide)

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

Summary: There's no antidote to the malignant craving for power and wealth. Landry Carran should know better than to get involved in yet another murder mystery, but it was hardly his fault that someone dumped a dead body on the doorstep of Treasure Trove Antiques. He can't resist recruiting his friends to help him play detective. Meanwhile, Landry's partner and Dom, Gage Roskham is doing real detective work that proves hazardous to his health and brings with it the assistance of an annoying Englishman who Gage believes should be behind bars. The case twists and turns across Seattle's antique trade and the bodies multiply. As clues are solved, it becomes apparent that those closest to Gage are in grave danger. He'll need to control his errant sub, deal with the most irritating Brit ever born and solve the case if he wants to prevent more death.