He was told he was evil down to his soul. It was physically beat into him on a daily basis. He lived with it, believing that his ultra conservative religious grandparents were right until the day his mother was attacked. Seeking help changed Happy’s life in ways he could never imagine and showed him a world he didn’t know existed.Answering a disturbance call, Deputy Marc Walker meets a man that shocks him with his gentleness. When he discovers Happy’s true nature, Marc wants to know everything about the man. He wants to show him the world.When the past rears its head, and their lives are put in danger, Happy tries to do the right thing and distance himself from his handsome deputy. But Marc has other plans for his gentle giant and he’s not going to let a little thing like getting shot or having escaped prisoners gunning for them interfere with those plans. Happy will get his happy ever after.Note: Some graphic depiction of extreme violence against the hero when he was a minor.

    A collection of food trucks and other small businesses, Shindig is a popular destination in this college town, but Isaiah longs for the fast pace of a big-city kitchen. Until he meets Joel… Joel Fisher has been out of commission from a serious illness for the better part of a year, but now he’s ready to reclaim his life—except his apartment has been sublet, his partner is missing, and their shared food truck is stripped of everything not attached. In short, Joel has nothing. After an uncomfortable night sleeping on the food truck floor, Isaiah and Thomas Morrell give Joel an offer he can’t refuse: a rented room in their house, as well as their help creating a new food truck concept. Joel hates accepting charity, but he’s hit rock bottom and has nowhere to go but up. Working with seemingly uptight Isaiah is actually pretty fun, and the pair bonds over a challenge to create a unique grilled cheese sandwich. Light flirting melts into a deeper connection neither man expects, but Isaiah isn’t in Reynolds for much longer, and Joel can’t get attached to the gorgeous professional chef. As Isaiah’s feelings for Joel strengthen and grow, he entertains the idea of staying in Neighborhood Shindig for good—but Joel hasn’t asked him to… Welcome to Neighborhood Shindig, a friendly place where you can snack on a lamb kebab while getting your hair done, pick up your favorite herbal tea blend, and then go listen to live music under the pavilion. We’re happy to have you.

    She works as a pediatric nurse at a local hospital, and she is engaged to a wonderful man. When Ronnie meets Amy Vascar, the mother of one of her patients, she realizes just how quickly someone's life can change in an instant of meeting just the right person, and how quickly friendship can morph into something more.

    This 180-page full-color book includes the entire first year of strips (the first six storylines) from September 2010 through October 2011! There's commentary! There's cast bios! There's bonus features! It's the most beautiful book I've ever done.

    It isn't long before social services figures out that Dusty's parents are more myth than reality, and he and his siblings are shipped off to live in Vermont with an uncle and aunt they've never met.Dusty's new life is a struggle. His brother and sister don't seem to need him anymore, and he can't stand his aunt and uncle. At school, one hockey player develops a personal vendetta against him, while Emmitt, another hockey player, is making it hard for Dusty to keep pretending he's straight. Problem is, he's pretty sure Emmitt’s not gay. Then, just when Dusty thinks things can't get any worse, his mother reappears, looking for a second chance to be a part of his life.Somehow Zebulon Pike still got the mountain named after him, so Dusty's determined to persevere—but at what point in life do you keep climbing, and when do you give up and turn back?

    Although thirty years old and disillusioned with the things she thought she believed in, she would never have imagined she would be lured into a hot affair with the dangerously attractive stranger Lyra. Her secret relationship with Lyra drags Jen into a web of lies and betrayal. When it ends in murder, Jen realises she is playing a dangerous game. Who is left to trust when Jen doesn’t even recognise herself anymore? A hot affair entangles a police officer in murder in this tightly woven mystery from exciting new author Margaux Fox. (This book was previously released by the same author, titled: Do You Love Me Enough?)

    Hectic is an understatement. With the twins’ first birthday looming, as well as their third anniversary, the last thing they’re thinking about is the Christmas holiday.When Logan spots the perfect snow globe in a shop window, he knows it’s the absolute perfect gift for his frazzled husband. But when he goes to make his purchase, it appears someone else has beat him to it. Will he be able to find another gift that is just as perfect for his husband?Rhett’s Gift has a familiar couple, but this story can be read as a complete standalone. You’ll encounter the usual shenanigans that you expect from these two, and steamy sexy times are a guarantee.Although this book is part of A Snow Globe Christmas series, it is a complete standalone, and it isn’t a requirement that you read the previous books to follow along.

    The other just wants to raise his daughter in peace.Sam Daniels meets an amazing guy and then the very next day gets a job offer he can't refuse. The problem? Working in politics means it's never easy to sustain any kind of personal life, but when you're running a campaign to elect the first woman to the office of the President of the United States, it may become nearly impossible. Blake Morin lives a quiet life with his daughter after spending years as a SEAL and he's fine with that. He doesn't want to fight the attraction towards Sam, but the last thing he needs is to be thrown into the political world of DC. Are they going to find some middle ground or will they end up falling out before the race is over?*** This book was previously published under the title "Serve & Protect". The book was re-edited and slightly expanded from that edition.***Discover the other books in DC Files series: Cherish & Give (#1.5) - Sam & Blake's Christmas story - available only for my newsletter subscribersTrust & Confidence (#2) - Adam and Michael's story (childhood friends turned lovers meet after years apart - second chance romance)Press & Hold (#3) - Stevie and Will's story (the ultimate 'will they, won't they' of the White House gossip mill)and more on the way

    In five days time a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?Getting married…It seems like only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby. He relishes the demands of being a daddy; especially teaching his little girl to draw and paint as she grows up.But the years tick by and times change. Long-buried secrets must come to the surface which may test even the strongest ties.Tom and Lawrence…He writes a list of all the things he has to do before the weekend and sticks it in the middle of his wall. The names and goals hang like threads of a spider’s web, inevitably leading to the centre, and all to the same place.Dear Mona Lisa…How to explain?Each morning he notes the colours of dawn, listens to the birds and waits for the perfect moment. In one hand rests the balance of life and a terrible responsibility, in the other a wedding ring. Difficult days and the past loom, but his friends rally round and one by one the words come to life.Everyone waits as Tom finds the strength to open up and set free the secrets of his heart in a celebration of family, friendship and love.A quirky story of modern life, set within the breathtaking landscape of Bradford.

    Yet he finds himself quite undone by a singer dressed in an elegant gown, crooning a spellbinding ballad.It’s not unusual for Jay, a former Londoner, to bring a new “friend” home from the cabaret, but he’s never had a guest quite like Nigel, whose straitlaced manner hides an unexpected passionate streak.One romantic night on a rooftop under starry skies, followed by an afternoon enjoying the excitement of the 1901 Paris Exposition, bonds these opposites in a way neither can forget—even after they part.Their spark reignites when Jay comes to London, but he’s not sure he can go back to hiding his true self, not even for the sake of love…unless Nigel is willing to shed his cloak of staid respectability and take a leap of faith.Warning: Contains a virgin who doesn’t speak French but is fluent in numbers, and a drag performer who is trilingual in English, French and Love. Not responsible for extra pounds brought on by the urge to dine on croissants au deux.

    Darius may be a hotshot city lawyer, but that doesn’t give him the right to sneer at Bennet, his friends, and their college. It doesn’t help that Bennet’s restaurant job has him waiting at Darius’s table. So when his tutor recommends him for an internship at Darius’s Pemberley estate, Bennet isn’t sure he wants it. He’s also not sure he can afford to turn it down.Darius is a fish out of water in the small college town of Meriton, but something keeps pulling him back there. He’s helping out a friend with business advice, nothing more. If he’s interested in Bennet, it’s not serious. Sure, Bennet challenges him in a way no other man has. But they have nothing in common. Right?Wrong. Their best friends are falling in love, and Bennet and Darius can’t seem to escape each other. Soon they’re sharing climbing ropes and birthday cake, and there’s a spark between them that won’t be denied. But betrayal is around the corner. Darius must swallow his pride and Bennet must drop his prejudices to see the rainbow shining through the storm clouds.A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

    But he’s also a burn survivor with scars on half his face, and all indications are that he’s just too different to ever find real Hollywood success. Now he’s up for an amazing new role that could change everything. Problem is, he and his best friend Russel Middlebrook have to drive all the way across the country in order to get to the audition on time. It’s hard to say which is worse: the fact that so many things go wrong, or that Russel, an aspiring screenwriter, keeps comparing their experiences to some kind of road trip movie. There’s also the fact that Otto and Russel were once boyfriends, and Otto is starting to realize that he still might have romantic feelings for his best friend. Just how far will Otto go to get the role, and maybe the guy, of his dreams? Author Brent Hartinger first introduced the character of Otto Digmore in 2005, in his Lambda Award-winning books about Russel Middlebrook. Back then, Otto was something pretty unusual for YA literature: a disabled gay character. Now, more than a decade later, Otto is grown up and finally stepping into the spotlight on his own. The Otto Digmore Difference, the first book in a new stand-alone series featuring Otto, is about much more than the challenges of being “different.” It’s also about the unexpected nature of all of life’s journeys, and the heavy price that must be paid for Hollywood fame. But more than anything, it’s a different kind of love story, about the frustrating and fantastic power of the love between two friends. Praise for Brent Hartinger: “Hits the narrative sweet spot." — NPR's All Things Considered "Downright refreshing." — USA Today "Touching and realistic...hilarious." — Kirkus Reviews

    Friends since childhood, they become lovers at age 16 and must deal with the realities of being gay in a hardscrabble neighborhood, a traditional Catholic family, and the restaurant kitchens where they've begun to work.

    At least that's what everyone else keeps saying, even if he doesn't like it. But that's not his biggest problem. Being gay while attending Dextrus Academy, an all-boys prep school, and only having one other gay friend, life can be...difficult. Cooper wants to stay true to himself, and being a hormonal gay teen makes that difficult at times. So far, he's managed to navigate being a good son, a good student, a best friend, and not lose himself in the process. But when Logan, a hot surfer dude, transfers to Dextrus Academy, is it possible that Cooper will lose himself for a chance at true happiness?

    After relapses, detoxes, and even jail time, Otto found the stability and sobriety he was looking for halfway across the country with a new identity.But when Otto gets word that his father is terminally ill and his mother and brother are struggling to keep the family inn afloat, he knows that it’s time to swallow his pride and go home.Even if he hasn’t talked to his family in almost two decades. *** When Cheshire-native Reese left his foster family to find his passion in New York City, he imagined he was saying goodbye to Cheshire forever. But Reese was never cut out for New York. The city chewed him up and spat him out, and Reese was forced to return home where his best friend still resented Reese for leaving. “You left me just like Otto. Everyone leaves...” Now it’s been two years since he’s been back, and Reese runs Cheshire’s only general store. He’s painstakingly mended his friendship with his best friend, and even after the recent death of his foster father, Reese almost feels like part of a family again. Reese feels like he’s finally got his life under control.  Then his best friend’s brother walks into Reese’s bar. *** Nineteen years ago, Reese and Otto were as good as brothers. But now, they have more catching up to do than either of them realized. After a chance encounter in which neither man recognizes the other, the two must navigate the wreckage of a struggling family, a brother who can’t forgive, and the reality of life in an isolated town in the mountains. Black Sheep is the first book in the three-book series, My Best Friend’s Brother. It has a happy-for-now ending, but is NOT self-contained. This slow burn starts out with a bang and delivers content meant for adult audiences. Black Sheep contains frank discussions about drug use and recovery.