Kirjahaku

Overseer Nicolas Wells had been coming to Mount Desert Island for ten summers to help build cottages for the rich and powerful. Despite his secrets, he had grown comfortable in the peaceful little island town, getting to know its inhabitants and even to consider some of them friends. The eleventh year, however, he arrived to startling news: the island's peace had been shattered by a murder. At the request of the sheriff, Shawn Parnell, Nicolas agreed to hire Philip Hall, the local blacksmith and the probable next victim, in the hope that the secure construction site would be safer than his house in the village. He never expected the decision to lead to danger. Or to love.

Offered a yearlong medical research fellowship in France, Shane Johnson has many hopes for the experience: a chance to improve his French, an opportunity to hone his research skills before starting his PhD at Baylor, and the freedom to live life as an openly gay man for the first time. He'll chronicle his year abroad with its challenges, victories, and setbacks as he struggles to balance his faith with his sexuality. As he navigates the shoals of a first kiss, a first relationship, and perhaps even lasting love, Shane will have to balance his newfound emotions with his long-term plans, and he'll face the decision of how his once-in-a-lifetime experience will fit into the life he wants to lead.

After a year apart, teacher Jacob Peters and county judge Beau Braedon decide they can't live without each other. There are just a few small obstacles to their Alabama love story. Jacob resents Beau's paranoia about being outed, but Beau is convinced he'll lose his seat on the bench if he admits to their relationship, and as a teacher at a Christian school, Jacob's job is even more at risk. They could relocate, but Beau's mother has Alzheimer's and can't be moved. And then there's the tiny issue of Jacob's infant son, Finn, and his mother, whom Jacob wed out of duty. In short, they are stuck. But Beau has a long-term plan, and he's prepared to swallow his fears and compromise with Jacob, because sharing stolen moments is no longer enough.

Lang Downs: Book One Caine Neiheisel is stuck in a dead-end job at the end of a dead-end relationship when the chance of a lifetime falls in his lap. His mother inherits her uncle's sheep station in New South Wales, Australia, and Caine sees it as the opportunity to start over, out on the range where his stutter won't hold him back and his willingness to work will surely make up for his lack of knowledge. Unfortunately, Macklin Armstrong, the foreman of Lang Downs who should be Caine's biggest ally, alternates between being cool and downright dismissive, and the other hands are more amused by Caine's American accent than they are moved by his plight… until they find out he's gay and their amusement turns to scorn. It will take all of Caine's determination—and an act of cruel sabotage by a hostile neighbor—to bring the men of Lang Downs together and give Caine and Macklin a chance at love.

When a Category 4 hurricane hits the Texas Gulf Coast and critically damages a nuclear reactor, the NRC brings in robotics engineer Derek Marshall and professor Sambit Patel to avert a disaster. Unfortunately, putting the men in the same room could be nearly as dangerous as the reactor: Derek's out and proud, gruff, and occasionally obnoxious; Sambit is closeted, quiet, and reserved. Faced with isolation, ungodly living conditions, and the very real possibility of acute radiation sickness, they race against time to stabilize the reactor. But the attraction growing between them may be beyond their control. On the surface, Derek and Sambit have nothing in common. They live in separate cities, come from disparate cultures, and have trouble just getting along, never mind navigating a relationship. All they have to hold them together is a few isolated weeks of trying to save the world, or at least the environment. Sambit is convinced the end of the assignment will be the end for them as well—and despite their many differences, he's beginning to wonder how he'll survive the fallout once Derek leaves him behind.

Evan Nichols likes his nice, quiet life in Boston. An established and respected Dom in the BDSM scene, he isn't looking for a sub, a slave, or a 24/7 relationship. Then a phone call from his best friend and fellow Dom, Rhys Calhoun, shakes up his comfortable routine. Rhys needs Evan's help to rehabilitate an abused sub—a sub Rhys has fallen in love with. Evan has misgivings, but he could never say no to Rhys, any more than Rhys would ever refuse to help him. Before he knows it, Evan finds himself at Rhys's home in Las Vegas with a sub who can barely stand to be in the same room with him and a Dom whose emotional involvement threatens his control. Add in the sexual attraction that's always simmered between Evan and Rhys, and it's a situation that has the potential to go very, very wrong. Determined to heal both Takoda and Rhys, Evan doesn't realize how many assumptions about his own life will be called into question as he tries to help them find their way forward together.

When Astro—as his fellow counselors dub him—signed up to spend the summer at Camp Laguna, North Carolina's premier girls' camp, he had two goals in mind: escape the memories of his cheating ex and avoid any other romantic entanglements. Then he meets C.C., the camp's EMT and handyman. It doesn't take long for Astro to realize that C.C. will pose far more problems to his peace of mind than his ex ever did. C.C. is gay, unattached, and interested. He's also a playboy of the worst order, and Astro is all too aware that they only have nine weeks together before the summer ends. So Astro has a choice: fan the flames between them and hope he can seduce C.C. into a relationship that lasts past the end of the summer, or let the chance pass him by and protect his heart.

Srikkanth Bhattacharya is a quintessential gay bachelor and perfectly happy about it—until he gets a call from the local hospital telling him his best friend died in childbirth. Sri had agreed to provide the sperm to make Jill's dream of motherhood come true, but he'd never expected to have to make decisions for a baby girl. He intends to place her with an adoptive family, but once he sees her, Sri can't bring himself to do it, so now he's struggling to learn how to deal with a newborn. His housemate and friend, Jaime Frias, volunteers to help, never guessing he'll fall in love with both the baby and Sri. Everything seems perfect until a visit from Social Services sends Sri into a tailspin, feeling like he has to choose between his daughter and a relationship with the man he's coming to love.

Their pirate vessel destroyed, Captain Amery White, ship's surgeon Gavin Watson, and quartermaster Quinn Davies are left without a livelihood or a home. The three men have served together since they were old enough to put to sea, sharing hardships and comfort until Amery and Gavin formalized their union with a matelotage—the pirate equivalent of a marriage contract. Now they've been offered a letter of marque and a fine English galleon with enough speed and firepower to catch and capture any ship in the Caribbean. But their mission brings back memories long buried and puts a strain on Amery and Gavin's relationship, especially when the Silver Queen captures a Spanish slave ship, bringing the very young, very beautiful, and very abused Eliodoro to their crew. Quinn finds himself torn between the love he's always had for his friends and his desire for their new crew member. When secrets from the past come to light and cause a rift between Amery and Gavin, Quinn will have to choose between substituting for Gavin's true love and becoming the center of Eliodoro's world.

Gabriel Blackstone's world is divided quite clearly into castes: everyone knows their place and abides by it. As an inventor in the merchant caste, his life is predictable in its routine until the night his best friends and assistants, Caleb and Andrew, purchase the time—and body—of a companion for his birthday. As an activist in the Caste Equality movement, everything Gabriel believes in tells him to refuse the gift, but then he meets Lucio. The beautiful and alluring companion is far more than the vapid courtesan he'd expected, and he can't get the man out of his mind. After that night, Gabriel tells himself to forget about Lucio, but a chance meeting at a ball makes it clear neither of them is willing to ignore the compelling chemistry between them. It will take all their combined trust and cunning, plus the help of a wily aristocrat and a plucky political activist, to overcome the challenges of infidelity, abuse, and social stigma that lay along their road; however, Gabriel knows it will all be worth it if at the end of the day he can call Lucio his own.

All his life, French racer Daniel Leroux has dreamed of one thing: winning the World Rally Championship. To do that, he needs a co-driver he can trust. If only he could find one…. At the end of a disastrous season, Daniel's manager replaces his incompetent co-driver with Frank Dufour, a young Canadian whose rally team let him go because he was gay. Daniel's in heaven, thinking he might find more than just a teammate, but his manager puts the brakes on, declaring Frank firmly off limits. Frank isn't any more ready to risk his second—and last—chance at making it in the WRC, no matter how attractive he finds Daniel. Sex and cars don't mix. Amidst a bitter rivalry with another driver, sabotage attempts, extreme weather conditions, and the stress of racing, Daniel and Frank forge a partnership that defies the odds, but just as things start to heat up between them, a family emergency calls Frank away. Will they find their way back together or will the separation and the spotlight be too much for their fledgling love to survive?

Sequel to Inherit the SkyLang Downs: Book Two Twenty-year-old Chris Simms is barely keeping his head above water. After losing his mother and his home, he struggles to provide for himself and his brother. When homophobes attack him, he thinks his life is over, but then he's rescued by jackaroos from a nearby sheep station. He's as stunned to be offered a job there as he is to discover both the station owner and foreman are gay. For Chris, Lang Downs is a dream—one that only gets better when Chris realizes the jackaroo he's crushing on, Jesse Harris, is gay and amenable to a fling. Everything goes well until Chris realizes he's falling for Jesse a lot harder than allowed by their deal. Jesse is a drifter who moves from station to station, never looking for anything permanent. Convinced Chris is too young and fragile for a real relationship, he sets rules to keep things casual. Watching the station owner and his foreman together makes Jesse wonder if there are benefits to settling down, but when he realizes how Chris feels about him, he panics. He and Chris will have to decide if a try for happiness is worth the risk before the end of the season tears them apart.

When Russ Peterson accepts an invitation to an all-expense-paid vacation at a castle in southern France, he doesn't expect to learn he has the ability to travel through time. For a historian, it's a dream come true, offering the chance to find answers to the mysteries of the past. But it's not without risks—to Russ and to the world as he knows it. After a few short supervised visits, Russ still hasn't made up his mind about his newfound abilities. Then, on his first extended trip, he meets Quentus Maximus, second in command to the Legate of Nemausus. While learning firsthand about the realities of life in Roman Gaul, Russ is shocked by his reaction to Quentus's dominant nature. After a week with Quentus, Russ's vacation is up, and he realizes he wants a chance to see if their relationship can flourish. Arranging a year-long sabbatical from work to give time to make the decision is easy. Figuring out if he can live with Quentus's dominant nature long-term, and finding a way to establish a life for himself in Roman Gaul, is an entirely different matter.

Sequel to Chase the StarsLang Downs: Book Three Office manager Sam Emery is unemployed and out of luck. When his emotionally abusive wife demands a divorce, he contacts the one person he has left, his brother, Neil. He doesn't expect Neil to reject him, but he also doesn't expect the news of his divorce—and of his sexuality—to be met with such acceptance. Neil takes Sam to Lang Downs, the sheep station Neil calls home. There, Sam learns that life as a gay man isn't impossible. Caine and Macklin, the station owners, certainly seem to be making it work. When Caine offers Sam a job, it's a dream come true. Jeremy Taylor leaves the only home he's ever known when his brother's homophobia becomes more than he can bear. He goes to the one place he knows he will be accepted: Lang Downs. He clicks with Sam instantly—but the animosity between Lang Downs and Jeremy's home station runs deep, and the jackaroos won't accept Jeremy without a fight. Between Sam's insecurity and Jeremy's precarious position, their road will be a hard one—and that's without having to wait for Sam's divorce to be final before starting a new life together.

Suite de Alliance de sang Partenariat de Sang, tome 2 Les sorciers et les vampires ont forge une Alliance fondee sur le sang et la magie dans l'espoir de renverser la tendance de la guerre contre les sorciers rebelles. Quelques liens sorcier-vampire sont aussi reussis que celui d'Alain Magnier et Orlando de Saint-Clair, mais d'autres le sont beaucoup moins, menant a des disputes, des ressentiments, ou carrement a des combats entre les allies en depit de leurs objectifs communs. Suivant l'exemple de son meilleur ami Alain, Thierry Dumont accepte resolument un partenariat avec le vampire Sebastien Noyer et ce malgre l'inconfort du sorcier a etre si proche d'un vampire - et un homme - si peu de temps apres le deces de sa femme. Mais ils constatent que leurs desespoirs sont peut-etre la clef pour former une Alliance qui fonctionne: Thierry et Sebastien sont presque immediatement devoues a la securite de l'autre. Avec cette nouvelle force qui la soutient, les dirigeants de l'Alliance se preparent a annoncer son existence au monde entier dans l'espoir de les rallier contre les sorciers rebelles qui menacent de detruire la vie telle qu'ils la connaissent. Luttant pour trouver sa voie dans la guerre en pleine expansion, l'Alliance decouvre que malgre ses avantages, les partenariats ont une incidence sur l'equilibre des pouvoirs magiques elementaires dans le monde qui peut etre une menace encore plus grande que la guerre elle-meme.

Sequel to Outlast the NightLang Downs: Book Four Thorne Lachlan knows a thing or two about getting himself safely out of a blaze. For years he fought in the world's hot spots, a Commando with the Australian Army. Now, retired, he fights flames for the Royal Fire Service. When a grassfire brings him to Lang Downs, the next sheep station in danger, Thorne meets Ian Duncan and sparks fly that neither man can put out. But both men have ghosts from the past that stand in the way of moving beyond mutual attraction. While Thorne longs for the home he could share with Ian at Lang Downs, he fears his own instability might make him a danger to others. And Ian's always believed that the foster care nightmare he escaped before coming to Lang Downs would make any relationship impossible. Trust doesn't come easily to Thorne or Ian until the fire's aftermath forces them to see past the scars keeping them both from healing.

All his life Benicio Quispe has dreamed of being a guide on the Inca Trail. He gets his chance when the top travel agency in Cusco, Peru hires him. Alberto Salazar, his assigned mentor, fits Benicio's idea of a perfect guide, but he's also everything Benicio never dared to dream of in a boyfriend. Alberto learned a long time ago to be discreet about his sexuality. It's a necessary sacrifice to keep the respect of the guides and porters whose help is critical in a successful hike. So he pushes aside his attraction to his new junior guide and goes on as usual. But when a group of old friends arrives to hike the trail again, they convince him a relationship with Benicio is worth pursuing. His newfound resolve is enough to get them on a first date, but no amount of courage can change the attitudes of their family and friends. The risks on the trail are easy compared to finding a path through the challenges keeping them apart.

A Partnership in Blood novel All his life, wizard Raphael Tarayaud has dreamed of a vampire—first as a friend, then as a lover. His search for his missing soul mate brings him to the attention of Sebastien Noyer, one of his childhood heroes. While Sebastien isn't his soul mate, he could be the perfect partner for Raphael's best friend Kylian Raffier. As strange coincidences mount up, Raphael offers his research expertise to try and help Kylian and Sebastien understand what is happening to them, though the more he learns, the less he likes it. But it won't keep him from fighting with everything he has to secure Kylian's future. When he finally meets Jean Bellaiche, former chef de la Cour and grieving widower, the meeting is disastrous, but Raphael can't let it go. He doesn't stand a chance with Jean—who could compete with the ghost of Raymond Payet?—but nothing can stop him from dreaming.

Partnership in Blood: Volume One Can a desperate wizard and a bitter, disillusioned vampire find a way to build the partnership that could save their world? In a world rocked by magical war, vampires are seen by many as less than human, as the stereotypical creatures of the night who prey on others. But as the war intensifies, the wizards know they need an advantage to turn the tide in their favor: the strength and edge the vampires can give them in the battle against the dark wizards who seek to destroy life as they know it. In a dangerous move and show of good will, the wizards ask the leader of the vampires to meet with them, so that they might plead their cause. One desperate man, Alain Magnier, and one bitter, disillusioned vampire, Orlando St. Clair, meet in Paris, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance of their decision: Will the vampires join the cause and form a partnership with the wizards to win the war?

Sequel to Alliance in Blood Partnership in Blood: Volume Two The wizards and the vampires have forged an alliance based on blood and magic, hoping to turn the tide of the war against the dark wizards. A few wizard-vampire bonds are as successful as Alain Magnier's and Orlando St. Clair's, but some are much less so, leading to arguments, resentment, and outright fights between the allies despite their mutual goals. Following his best friend Alain's example, Thierry Dumont determinedly forms a partnership with vampire Sebastien Noyer, despite the wizard's discomfort with being so close to a vampire—a man—so soon after his wife's death. But they find that desperation may be the key to forming a covenant that works: Thierry and Sebastien are almost immediately devoted to one another's safety. With new strength behind it, the Alliance's leaders move to announce its existence to the whole world, hoping to rally support against the dark wizards who threaten to destroy life as they know it. Struggling to find its way in the expanding war, the Alliance discovers that despite its advantages, the partnerships are affecting the balance of magical power in the world, which may be an even bigger threat than the war itself.