Jeff Erno

Another heart-warming gay romance from one of today's most beloved authors, Jeff Erno Homicide detective Tucker Brown hasn't always made the right decisions, but one thing about his life he'll never regret is his son Jaydin. While at the hospital for his four-year-old's tonsillectomy, he encounters Jaydin's nurse, Ivan Ramsey. Tucker is taken aback, however, when he discovers he's been assigned to investigate the potential murder of Ivan's mother. Ivan Ramsey is a pediatric nurse, and he loves his job more than life. Raised in a devoutly religious family, he's not yet out to a lot of people, but on the very night he chooses to come out to his mother, she dies tragically in a house fire. Devastated by the news, Ivan all but falls to pieces, and to make matters worse, a cocky, know-it-all police detective shows up asking nosy questions. The cop implies his mother's death might not have been an accident and even infers a family member might be responsible. Tucker and Ivan at first clash. Their strikingly different personalities are oil and water, but soon they begin to work together to determine the real cause of Ivan's mother's death. In the process, sparks begin to fly and a romance ignites. Ivan falls hard, not only for the sexy detective but also his adorable son.Tucker, equally smitten, has made some discoveries he can't yet reveal to his lover. There are so many loose ends and unanswered questions for both of them, and when the truth finally comes out, it just might tear them apart.

Can a man improve his appearance without losing everything good inside him? Oliver has always been obese and suffered from a negative body image. He's tried diets before, failing time after time, but he vows this time will be different. As he begins an exercise program, his confidence increases—and so does his interest in his friend and coworker Benjy. Though they bonded long ago over a love of online gaming, it takes a lot of courage for Oliver to share his new body and be intimate with another man. A passionate romance blooms, but as Oliver nears his goal, it seems he doesn't need Benjy—with his chronic anxiety and troubled past—now that he's made attractive new friends at the gym. But not all relationships are equal, and Oliver realizes that Benjy, who loved and supported him when no one else did, is more than a reminder of his old life. A pleasing appearance means nothing when it hides a lonely, empty heart, and if Oliver cannot decide what's truly important, he'll lose what he cherishes most.

Dumb Jock: Book Six The final book in the Dumb Jock series brings us back to Jeff and Brett thirty-plus years after their "happily ever after." Jeff, now a university professor, and Brett, CEO of a sporting equipment company, prepare to celebrate Brett's fiftieth birthday. Suddenly, a devastating emergency derails all plans. Fear and unknown questions force the couple to look back on a lifetime of struggles as an openly gay couple just starting out in the 1980s. My Dumb Jock chronicles their life together, beginning after the sports banquet at the conclusion of book one, continuing through their college years, engagement, wedding, and the birth of their children. Together they shoulder homophobia and rejection and build their own family in the face of many crippling losses and temptations. This final book of the series brings together an entire cast of characters from five books, all connected by one remarkable couple. A couple not quite ready to say good-bye.

Dumb Jock: Book Five Rejected by his family for coming out, Bryan Helverson boards a plane for Tampa, Florida, where he plans to attend college. Brett and Jeff's family embrace him when he arrives, and his new "brothers," Adam and Trevor, help him assimilate into the community. While playing tennis with Trevor at the country club, Bryan meets aspiring pro tennis player Greg Lewis. But after a few minutes it's easy to see the arrogant jock is not on Bryan's menu, and he quickly dismisses the man. Forgetting he ever met Greg is not an option, though, when Bryan is hired as a waiter at the country club's restaurant, and Greg is assigned to train him. Unexpected romance blossoms just as Bryan discovers one of Greg's ex-boyfriends also works at the restaurant. Greg is not the person Bryan first took him for, though. His true ambition is to become a doctor. And as their romance grows serious, Bryan discovers Greg's mom suffers from the same debilitating depression that plagues Bryan. Unfortunately, just as Bryan is making giant strides with managing his depression, Greg's ex—as manipulative as he is abusive—takes a battered Bryan back to point A and threatens to destroy his relationship with Greg.

Dumb Jock: Book Four Evan Drake needs to be a role model to his younger brother Brandon, and although he's a star on his high school basketball team, there's more to him than meets the eye. He's interested in many things, including drama and singing, and when he joins drama club, he meets Noah Sheridan, and he's pretty interested in him, too. Noah is a super smart, cute but nerdy kid who has written a high school play about two gay students who attended Boyne City High twenty years ago, and who, in real life, fell in love with each other. When the drama department elects to use the play for their high school musical, Noah urges Evan to audition for the lead role. Evan ultimately decides he wants to be in the play, but when he shows up to audition, it sends shockwaves throughout the school. His teammates are furious, and so is his best friend Bryan. As Evan and Noah grow closer, Bryan gets more traitorous, and it seems he wants nothing more than to see his former friend broken down.

Dumb Jock: Book Three At age sixteen, Todd Hoffman is a social outcast. He lives with his mother in a rundown mobile home and doesn't wear the nice clothes or drive fancy cars like the other students. He has one outlet: he secretly writes fan fiction about a boy falling in love with another boy he's crushing on, and posts it online. When Galen Caulfield, Todd's real life object of affection, notices him and asks him out, Todd feels like he's living his fantasy. Soon enough he realizes that fantasy and reality are two very different propositions. Galen is the high school soccer team captain, clearly out of Todd's league. On top of that, he's popular, good-looking, and confident, so everyone thinks he's straight. Now it's up to Todd to decide whether Galen is the boy of his dreams or just another dumb jock.

Sequel to Dumb JockDumb Jock: Book Two Jeff Irwin and Brett Willson raised a fine son, Adam, in their unconventional, judgment-free family. But being the son of two dads has its challenges. Although Adam loves them, he's determined to prove he's not gay, like they are. To this end he's become the star pitcher of his high school baseball team, a true jock. Then Adam is suspended after he gets into a fight at school, and his dads find out his grades are slipping. Determined to put him back on track, they hire him a tutor: a short, nerdy kid named Trevor. Despite his resistance, soon enough Adam's worst nightmare comes true when he finds himself attracted to Trevor. This gives him a choice: follow his heart or become just another dumb jock.

Dumb Jock: Book One Jeff Irwin is short, timid, and studious. A bit of a social outcast, he lives quietly in the shadows of the popular kids at his school, his life ruled by his ever-present fear of rejection or failure. Enter high school football hero Brett Willson and the chance for Jeff to embark upon the challenge of educating the world's dumbest jock. But what develops between Brett and Jeff proves far more challenging than any tutoring session. In 1983, rural Michigan isn't ready to embrace love between two men, never mind two teenage boys. If they're going to make a go of it, Jeff will have to come out of his shell—and Brett will have to prove he's more than just a dumb jock.

High school junior Wesley Harris is a stereotypical shy, soft-spoken nerd. He is obsessed with crafts and art and doesn’t even need to come out of the closet to become the target of antigay bullying. Though he has the support of close friends and liberal-minded mother, he finds it hard to believe in himself.Brad Johnson, Wesley’s new neighbor, is Wesley’s age—and his complete opposite. A popular jock and hero of the school’s baseball team, Brad has an outgoing personality and a reputation as a ladies’ man. When he and Wesley are alone, away from their classmates’ scrutiny, they become friends despite their differences. But when Wesley confesses to wanting more than friendship, Brad walks away, unwilling to risk their romance being exposed.Though devastated, Wesley resigns himself to accept that they were never meant to be. The next time he runs afoul of bullies, school counseling empowers him to report them. Encouraged by his new confidence, he decides to attend the school dance and face Brad….

Every day, all over the country, teenagers struggle with the realities of bullying. Tormented, ridiculed, and beaten—simply for being who they are—these teens face alienation, humiliation, and even the explicit assertion that they have somehow brought this upon themselves, that they should just blend in. Bullied is a series of short stories exploring the world of these teens from several different viewpoints: the victim, the bully, the gay bystander, the straight friend, the concerned parent. Closeted Bryan wonders why Christian Michaelson doesn't just try to blend in if he hates being bullied so much. Star athlete David isn't a homophobe—after all, he's not afraid of anything. Jonathan, a Christian fundamentalist, must weigh the Bible against peer pressure and what he knows is right when he discovers his childhood friend is gay. Bully victim Chase Devereaux finds an unexpected ally in a brave fellow student. A single mom struggles to accept the reality that her only son is gay. Two tough gay teens are forced to confront their own inner demons when tragedy befalls a classmate they failed to help. And overweight Kirby finds the strength of character to make a friend, which leads to a lifestyle change and a chance at love. Each character grows as an individual as he or she comes to terms with what it means to be a gay teenager in America.

For years, eighteen-year-old Corey Dunham has been a die-hard fan of the reality show and nationwide talent competition Choosing America's Next Superstar. Now he finally has his chance to show off his natural ability and perfect pitch—not to mention meet other talented young musicians like Jimmy Sawyer, a country crooner from Kentucky. In the cutthroat audition round, Corey and Jimmy get off on the wrong foot. It doesn't help that they seem to be complete opposites, both in terms of musical taste and personality. But when both make it through to the finals and become roommates, an unlikely romance blossoms. Reality show dating is nearly impossible. Corey worries that the competition itself could spell the end for them. At any time, voting results could send one of them home and force a separation. And one of the judges wants Corey for himself and will do anything to get Jimmy off the show. Can Corey and Jimmy win each other's heart, regardless of who wins the show?

For six years, Rex Payton has focused on two things: keeping his late father's small-town Kentucky bar afloat and raising his nephew, Tyler. After the tragic loss of his parents and sister, Rex has no interest in romance. He's respected in his community and regarded as one of Carlisle's most eligible bachelors, but he's accepted that his life isn't conducive to a romantic relationship, especially as a closeted gay man. Enter Josh Billings, a veterinary student who's serving an internship in town. Josh's deepest passion is helping animals. Romance is the furthest thing from his mind… until the night he meets taciturn, handsome Rex Payton. Chance and an after-hours dance conspire to forge an intimate connection neither man looked for—one neither man can ignore after the dance leads to a kiss. Suddenly romance isn't so insignificant, but it's also not without complications. For this relationship to work, Josh has to decide if he can cope with dating a single dad, Rex has to open his heart, and Ty has to learn to share his dad's affection.

Shawn Graham and Bobby Wilder couldn't be more different. Shawn is a devout Christian fundamentalist from northern Michigan; Bobby is a street-smart latchkey kid from southern Ohio. From an early age, they are both confused and troubled by their attraction to the same sex. Shawn believes that homosexuality is sinful, and a traumatic incident of childhood sexual abuse adds to his guilt and shame. Bobby has an image to maintain and flatly denies the possibility that his same-sex attractions even exist. He's just too cool to be gay. When they finally connect, their preconceptions are suddenly dwarfed by what they feel for each other. They become inseparable and fall deeply in love; however, love doesn't make life easy. Plans are in motion that will surely devastate the young couple. Painful experiences of the past overshadow happy memories, and heartbreaking obstacles loom over the possibility of a future. If Shawn and Bobby want to stay together, they will have to fight with everything they have.