The Lonely Heroes Series

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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.”

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Summary: Gabriele Torrente~ “Mr. Torrente? You need to come down here.” My receptionist isn’t one to make demands, so I hurry down the stairs to see what all the fuss is about. Little did I know, the moment I walk down those stairs, my life is going to change in ways I can’t begin to fathom. The boy and girl seated in the lobby come as a surprise, but the man bursting through the front door moments later has me nearly swallowing my tongue. He’s beautiful, funny, and infuriating. He says he’s a dancer with a job lined up on a cruise ship, but he’s crazy if he thinks I’ll admit to being the father of these two adorable kids I’ve never seen before in my life. His name is Dexter Carrington. What the hell is happening to my once serene life? Dexter Carrington~ A call from my mother informs me that she has my niece and nephew for the summer because my sister, a mediocre hair stylist from Jersey City, has decided to take a job that requires her to travel. The unexpected call a few weeks later telling me my mother passed away is devastating, and a social worker says my niece and nephew will have to go into foster care, which only compounds my problems. I’m able to work out a deal to take the kids until my sister is found or their father is identified. Should be easy since I have a photo of him, right? The handsome man I meet claims to be a wedding photographer, but when I catch the flash of a gun holster while he’s kneeling down to talk to my niece and nephew—who he looks nothing like—I have the impression there’s a lot more to him than he’s letting on. He’s unlike any man I’ve ever met, and his name is Gabriele Torrente. What the hell is happening to my once dull and peaceful life? This book is approximately 103,000 words in length and doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. It is the second book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.”

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Summary: Shepard Smokey Colson - When a man I revere and his wife are killed in a freak auto accident in Greece, something feels off about the accident. He’d been my savior when I was at my lowest, and if it hadn’t been for Saber, I’d have likely not lived to see the sunrise the day after being dishonorably discharged from the Army. That great man put me on the path toward a new life and saved my old one in the process. My sense of honor and gratitude push me to go to Georgia to offer support to his son, Parker Howzer, and any assistance I can to help him through his grief. What will it take to repay my debt to Saber? I didn’t anticipate it might take my heart. Parker Buckley Howzer - With one phone call, I’m an orphan again, but this time, there is no one to love me through the pain. On top of that, someone is looking for something belonging to my parents that they believe I possess. How can I find it when I don’t even know what to look for? I didn’t expect Shepard Colson to burst onto the scene like an avenging angel from heaven. He somehow knows I’m in danger and vows to keep me safe, but at what cost to both of us? Whether I’m ready or not, my life as an unknown chef is about to change, but I didn’t anticipate just how much. This fictional story is approximately 89,000 words in length and ends with a happy for now. It is the third book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.” I hope you enjoy it.

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Summary: Lawrence ‘Lawry’ Schatz - Heartbroken? Check. Unemployed? Check. Homeless? Check. Self-medicating? As often as possible. My life has been upended with a three-word text, and a meeting with my boss’s boss nearly finishes me off. I’m in a downward spiral, and I have no intentions of pulling out. My brother Hank has other ideas. He’s called in a big gun, Gabriele Torrente, who drags me to New York and pushes me to get myself together. At a family event, I hook up with the hottest guy I’ve ever met, intending to just relieve some tension. The guy turns out to be more than I could imagine. He’s sassy, opinionated, and he completely sets me on my ear. I can tell Maxim Partee won’t put up with my crap. I made a huge mistake with him, but he still agrees to be my friend, and that is precisely what I desperately need. I live under no illusions he’ll ever need me in return. Maxim ‘Maxi’ Partee - Sexy? Check. Successful? Check. Lonely? Very much so. Power bottom? You bet your… bottom. I have a successful business—two of them as a matter of fact. I have friends I cherish, and I love my life. I keep telling myself it’s more than enough for me. I choose the men I spend time with, and it’s always on my terms. An unexpected hook-up at a birthday party leads me down an unanticipated path where I meet a man who has been crushed by mountain of disastrous events, and he’s doing his damnedest to push everyone away so he can quietly self-destruct. Why in the hell can’t I just walk away? This fictional story is approximately 86,000 words in length. It is the fourth book in “The Lonely Heroes Series.” TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of suicide and description of an attempt.

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Summary: Raleigh “Nemo” Wallis— Positive. One word with a lot of meanings—but not all of them are good. When I remember my time in the Navy as a SEAL, I know one word will define me and shape the course of my life until I die. Loss seems to follow me everywhere I go, but when Benji Hoffman comes back into my life, he makes me rethink a lot of things—mainly… How can I love him and not kill him? Benjamin Hoffman— The memories I carry from my childhood on Knott’s Island are precious to me, especially when life throws challenges in my path. I’m running for Congress at my best friend’s insistence, and someone sets fire to my campaign headquarters, just as my best friend is hospitalized for a major illness. When her brother comes back to the island to see her, I’m that fifteen-year-old kid again, crushing on him even though he comes off cool as a cucumber when I’m around him. After getting my ass kicked at a quick stop while on the campaign trail, Raleigh Wallis decides to accompany me to keep me safe because of my friendship with his sister. How can I survive being with that man every day and not die of longing for him? Both men have a desire to make life better for those about whom they care. Can Raleigh overcome deeply rooted fears from his past and let down his walls enough to let Benji in? Who is trying to undermine Benji’s shot at doing the only thing he’s ever wanted to do—make his home state a better place to live? Can they positively achieve their goals together?

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Summary: A strong sense of loyalty courses through the lifeblood of the Torrente family, and as a member, Mateo is duty-bound to move to America to assist his favorite cousin, Gabriele, when threats are made against the family. Mateo possesses a skillset that is required to protect Gabriele’s children and to assist in identifying a traitor in their midst. The job seems easy… until Mateo meets the one man who reminds him that, in his profession, it’s wise to remain without encumbrances—emotional or otherwise. No one with a conscience will accept Mateo’s profession, so he fights his own desires for the kind of happiness he sees around him in New York, resigned to be forever without love… though a little fling never hurt anyone. Shay Barr is a talented hair stylist and barber. His reputation is golden, and his prestigious client list is a who’s who of New York society. His future is bright as long as his secrets stay buried in the past. When Shay receives unsettling news from home, he’s reminded why he ran at eighteen, and now, it seems history is set to repeat itself. The pack of religious zealots Shay barely escaped as a teen have found another lamb—to convert or to slaughter—and Shay is determined to save him, but how? When Mateo Torrente walks into DyeV Barr with a teary-eyed little girl Shay thinks of as part of his found family, the chemistry is explosive. Unbeknownst to either man, the other is exactly who he needs. With one “Torrente” smile, Shay is enraptured by Mateo, but there is danger lurking in the shadows. Will the Salesman and the Barber be able to escape the perils at their heels or will they become love’s martyrs to save each other?

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Summary: Hated? Yeah, I’ll take it and return it in spades. That’s Duke Chambers motto when he begins working at GEA-A at Giuseppe Torrente’s request. His life isn't bad before he tracks down Giuseppe--he's been a drill sergeant in the Marines, garnering the respect of men and women with whom he's served. He has two women who love him like a son, and a “little” older brother he adores. Everything is great until fate sticks her nose into Duke’s life and upends it, leaving him filled with hatred. He finds out a truth he never wanted to accept but is there more than meets the eye? Corbin Barr is trying to adapt to a new world after the mechanic flees Arkansas to try to create a life in New York and make up for past wrongs he participated in that hurt his brother Shay and his cousin Chase. The guilt is soul deep, especially since Corby is harboring his own secrets. His unrequited crush on one of the professionals at GEA-A doesn’t help. Ace Hampton has lived a million lives—everything from an MMA fighter to a mercenary to a bodyguard. He’s meditated with monks in Tibet, and he’s done his fair share of beating fear into the reluctant. He’s traveled the world, meeting men of all walks of life, but when Giuseppe Torrente asks for his assistance, Ace feels it’s important not to turn the man down. What Ace doesn’t expect to find is a brotherhood of security professionals unafraid to do what’s necessary to protect those who are under attack. Among them, Ace finds himself drawn to two men. He’s learned he’s not cut out for monogamy, but can he be faithful to two unique men who have their own pasts to fight? Can three broken men heal themselves and each other? How strong is the power of love? Can Corbin and Ace help Duke see he could have a new family and be an orphan no more?

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Summary: Bruno Garvin has been in love with one man in his life, and he’s married to him… Trouble is, the marriage was never supposed to be real. It was a passive aggressive way for Dominic Mazzola to show his mother that denying Dom’s sexuality doesn’t make it untrue. Now, Bruno’s back in the States and Dominic’s more than angry with him for mailing the fake marriage license to the Recorder’s Office in Kentucky where they tied the fake knot with their friends on New Year’s Eve. Bruno’s resolved himself that he’ll find a way to win Dominic’s heart, but when the traitor in their midst—the man he saw with Francesco Mangello in Italy—is finally identified by Bruno, will he inform the Torrente family or will he keep the secret in hopes of keeping Dominic? What’s more important to a man with noble intentions—the fate of innocents or the love of his life?

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Summary: One man is set on revenge, another man for justice. Can the two of them work together to find the answers to right two wrongs? Kelly Brown is finally free from the United States Disciplinary Barracks, where he took part in an experimental program that changed his life forever, and he’s got a few scores to settle—who kidnapped his sister at fourteen, and who got her pregnant? London St. Michael is mourning the loss of his good friend, Mathis Sinclair, who is mown down in the prime of his life by a hit-and-run driver. The men of Golden Elite Associates-America are determined to find the unknown driver and bring them to justice. When Kelly shows up at the Victorian with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder and a list of questions as long as his arm, London is quick to take up the torch to help the man find his answers. Nowhere in their quest for the truth do the two men expect to find an attraction that can’t be denied. This work of fiction is approximately 83,000 words and ends with an H-E-A. It’s book nine in “The Lonely Heroes” series. It is recommended that the series be read in the order released.

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Summary: When Chef Rafael Torrente runs into Bounty Hunter Dallas St. Michael on the Las Vegas Strip, the desert is about to sizzle like a spicy Italian sausage. Goditi il viaggio! Rafael Bianco Torrente, world famous chef, New York restauranteur, and sometimes assassin is expanding his empire to the bright lights of Sin City. Rafe only has time for work, but the memory of one beautiful night with the man of his dreams has stuck with him for a whole year. To Rafe, extra virgin oil will always hold a special memory. Dallas St. Michael, fugitive recovery agent and older brother of London St. Michael, former operative for Golden Elite Associates-America, is haunted by the memory of a man who blessed him with one perfect night. The memory of their too-short encounter has made Dallas unwilling to even consider having another man or woman in his life, so he lives his singular existence as a freelance bounty hunter in a bare-bones apartment in the Las Vegas Valley. One accidental meeting in the middle of the night. The man he craves appearing out of nowhere. Is the Universe giving the two men another chance at... something? With their busy lives, is there any way they can find time to make the connection they both seek? Will they survive the three-pronged blitz attack on Rafe's family that comes out of nowhere? Is it finally time to level old scores, and who are the new players in the mix? Can Rafe and Dallas keep their chemistry alive while they fight the garbage dumped on their piece of happiness cake? This is the tenth and final book in The Lonely Heroes series. Come along and finish the ride, won't you?

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Summary: What happens when a sitting United States Senator gets caught with his pants down—literally? The U.S. Senator from Virginia is about to find out! Welcome to Washington, DC, where the Power Players are more intriguing than anything happening under the Capitol Dome. A romantic getaway to an exotic island with forty-five-year-old Spencer Brady’s lover leads to being outed to the entire world. The blowback costs Spencer more than he bargained for, but the impact on his family is more agonizing than he ever imagined. Twenty-seven-year-old Nashville Lincoln is working two jobs to survive in Washington, DC—one as a bartender for a catering company that services parties for the Washington elite. The other job involves servicing many of those same heavy hitters in a more intimate way. In the nation’s capital, if someone isn’t scratching your back, they’re stabbing it. Can Spencer recover from a devastating professional loss? What does the future hold for his marriage, and will he ever learn the identity of the person responsible for outing him? How does Nash Lincoln play into Spencer’s future? Is he more hinderance than help? Is Spencer’s wife, Vanessa, pushing them together? Can Nash help save The Senator?

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Summary: A Lonely Heroes Holiday Story The heroes from Golden Elite Associates—America have put their plans and lives on hold for a year as they try to cope with the aftermath of Lawry “Casper” Schatz and Maxim Partee’s engagement party—the night Blue was bombed by an unknown assailant. The explosion impacted everyone’s lives, and recovery has been slow for the group. In the spirit of turning the page on the incident, Shepard “Smokey” Colson and Parker Howzer decide to host a bachelor party at their lake house. They invite all of their friends to join them for a celebratory weekend, and what better time to have a big party than New Years! Each couple is ready to move forward with their plans in one way or another—someone wants a baby; someone wants to live part of the year in another country; two have job opportunities that will be life changing; someone wants to make future plans that include starting a family; the desire for a forever home is important to another hero. How will they achieve their goals? That’s what they’re all hoping to figure out. Add in a few surprise guests with unclear agendas, and let the chaos begin! One thing is certain—someone’s going to tie the knot! This book is approximately 70,000 words in length and ends happily. It is the seventh book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes.”

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Summary: After much debating the merits of adding to their family, Gabriele and Dexter Torrente finally agree—they want to have a baby, though the decision doesn’t come without questions and fears… How will Dylan and Searcy react to having a sibling? What should they do about an egg donor? Who will care for the baby while they both work? What will it do to the family if something should happen to the baby? How will they protect another child from the threat that looms? Take the journey with the family as they worry and love through all their concerns when Gabe and Dex decide to bring a baby into their tumultuous lives. Meet… Baby Romeo. This work of fiction is approximately 13,000 words in length and ends happily. It is a short story in “The Lonely Heroes” universe. Enjoy!