Book Title: Love
Beneath the Stars: A Matchmaker Wedding Novella
Author: Claerie Kavanaugh
Publisher: Half Caff Press
Cover Artist: Lauren Dombrowski
Release Date: April 26, 2023
Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance
Tropes: Age gap, celebrity, matchmaker, wedding
Themes: Coming out, forgiveness
Heat Rating: 3
flames
Length: 30 000
words
It is a standalone story in the
Entertaining Love series.
They say love conquers all,
but what if getting it means losing your family?
Blurb
After years of searching, a job
gone wrong finally led Hollywood’s most famous matchmaker Eve to her soulmate in up-
and-coming starlet Jemma Mason. For a year, they had pictured their perfect destination
Valentine’s Day wedding. But when Jemma’s family arrives from Montana, they quickly learn
perfection is hard to come by.
Jemma’s conservative brother
has always been distant, but when he meets his sister’s fiancée, who is seven years her
senior, he worries she’s moving way too fast and refuses to come to the wedding, let alone
keep his promise to walk her down the aisle. Can love really conquer all, or are there some
wounds that simply run too deep to be buried?
Eve and Jemma’s Wedding Novella. Sequel to LOVE AMONG
THE STARS in the standalone sapphic celebrity romance series ENTERTAINING LOVE.
About the Author
Claerie Kavanaugh has spent
most of her life telling stories, but she never imagined herself writing romance. In fact, she
used to think it should only be reserved for Hallmark movies. It wasn’t until college, when
she discovered fanfiction, that she learned what romance was truly about: not just fluffy
relationships and happily-ever-afters, but human connection, the desire to push one another
to be better, and create hope that somewhere, somehow, everyone has
someone.
When she’s not writing, she
loves to travel and explore new cultures, helping other authors polish their works as a
freelance editor, and singing while doing so. Broadway musicals are her soul-food,
something her mother and sister know well. She constantly blasts the newest soundtrack
through the halls of their Missouri home, much to the chagrin of her very sassy and spoiled
cat.
Learning to accept himself is not the only lesson the universe has planned for him.
Blurb
Eighteen-year-old Tobias Gavin is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. For many years, the what-ifs of coming out have swirled around his head, so he has chosen to live a lie to keep from disrupting the “normal” life he has created with his family and friends.
That is until he meets Gareth David the day he enrolls for his first semester as a college student. He feels an immediate connection with Gareth…a connection that pushes Tobias to question the way he has been living his life. When Gareth coincidentally becomes Tobias’s History professor, Tobias is forced to confront his feelings and confront the universe.
Tobias must come to terms with his depression, anxiety, heartbreak, and his sexuality before he can even begin to heal his wounds. He believes that everything happens for a reason, but he learns that some experiences are meant to teach even if they cause heartbreak. Once he comes to terms with himself, he might find his knight in shining armor.
Tobias must learn to trust himself and those around him if he wants to find happiness.
Excerpt
I’m startled out of my thoughts when I hear doors open, but to avoid any more agonizing contact with Anna, I don’t glance over until I hear the deep voice of a man talking to Anna.
I glimpse Anna out of the corner of my eye and notice her entire personality has changed. She appears more alive and filled with energy. She twirls her hair between her pointer and middle fingers, flirting with the man, which goes unnoticed by him. He is standing there exchanging pleasantries with her. When he turns to look in my direction, my heart literally skips a beat.
He is beautiful.
Wow. Drop-dead gorgeous isn’t even the best phrase to describe the man standing before me. The stylish brown hair rising in waves from the top of his head looks natural and void of any hair products, like he rolls out of bed looking like McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy on a daily basis. His light brown skin and dark brown eyes shimmer, reminding me of silky, smooth milk chocolate. Everything with me always goes back to chocolate, which is why I can’t stop looking at him as he stands next to the receptionist’s desk talking to Anna.
He isn’t ridiculously muscular, but his biceps look statuesque underneath his tight plaid button-down shirt. Dark Levi’s accentuate every muscle and curve his lower body has to offer. My mind immediately drifts to what his legs would look like if he set them free with short shorts or even his underwear. What is wrong with me?
Without even moving, he exudes confidence I only wish I could have. My mediocre body isn’t nearly as memorable as the physique standing before me. Anyone would want to talk to him, to be near his gorgeous face…touch his toned body. This man hit the gene-pool lottery when whatever higher being or the masters of the universe made him.
“Hello… Hey…. Is somebody in there?” he asks, waving his hand near my face.
My eyes adjust to his waving hand, and I realize I have been staring at him with an open mouth, looking like a brainless buffoon.
“Uuhhhh…what?!” I say like a blubbering fool.
“I asked if you are here to meet with me,” he responds with the sweetest expression, ignoring my inability to carry a conversation, which makes my cheeks burn red.
“Hahaha… I wish.” I freeze… What the fuck did I say? Oh my god, I could die. I should run out the door and lay down in the street, praying someone will take pity on me and end my suffering. I’m positive I have turned as red as the couches I’m sitting on.
He chuckles and gives me a bright and warm grin, revealing his perfectly whitened teeth. He towers over me, holding out his hand. “My name is Gareth David. I’m Dr. Richard’s teaching assistant. Who are you?”
Suddenly, an overwhelming urge to jump into his arms and put my hand through his radiantly manicured hair skips jauntily through my mind. That is perfectly acceptable for people to do, right?
I grab his hand, applying enough pressure to give an adequate handshake, so I look less like a dope.
When our hands meet, a rush of warmth spreads throughout my entire body. He glances at our hands and back into my eyes, giving me that perfect grin again. I can’t help but wonder if he observed the same jolt of energy when our hands met. The way he is looking at me makes me feel something I can’t put my finger on, but I don’t want the erotic energy to end.
After gaining my composure, I respond, “My name is Tobias Gavin. I’m here to meet with Dr. Richards about setting up my schedule for the fall semester.”
An Adonis-like smile spreads across his face, and I melt again. “Are you a freshman? I haven’t seen you around or in any of my classes.”
I look at him confused. “Didn’t you say you’re her assistant?”
He chuckles. “Teaching assistant. However, I teach my own classes and cover her classes when she is away. I know it seems weird, but Dr. Richards has taught me well. Besides, I’m almost finished with my graduate degree. I turned in my thesis a few weeks ago.”
His voice exhibits pure kindness that sends warmth through by body, helping me relax.
“May I have my hand back?” He laughs.
Shit.
My body going tense again, I realize I’m still holding his hand. I hesitate for a millisecond—my body wanting our embrace to continue—before letting go of his hand.
“I’m so sorry. I was listening to you talk and forgot to let go.” Kill me. Someone, please hire a ninja assassin to come kill me now.
About the Author
Scott E. Garrison is a debut author, who wants to share new, queer stories with the world. He currently lives in the Oklahoma City, OK area.
Alongside writing, he has a Masters in Library and Information Studies and works as a Librarian for an Oklahoma-based library system. He spends his free time reading, baking, watching movies and TV shows with his husband, and cuddling with his dogs, Jarvis and F.R.I.D.A.Y.
I’m here to destroy this town. How did I end up in a fake relationship with its hero?
I’ve spent my life proving to my grandpa and dad that I’m
more than just the Lewis family mistake. So when Grandpa sends me to Devon Falls, VT to
take some ridiculous leaf festival to court, I head straight there and get to work.
But Dr. Jack Lancer keeps getting in my way.
He’s everywhere.
Helping me out with my migraines, making me dinner, insisting people be nice to me even
though I’m the enemy. Who is this guy? The next thing I know I’m pretending to be Jack’s
boyfriend to get him out of a bind. I swear he’s putting kindness pills in my food or
something.
Jack thinks he can fix me the same way he fixes everyone
else. But I’m not broken. This podunk town will be when I’m done with it, though. And Jack?
Well, he’s about to learn the meaning of the term “collateral damage.” Because I’ll do
anything to win this case and end this festival.
Even if it means losing something that feels an awful lot like
love.
Fauxmance in the Falls is an age-gap romance featuring a small town full of quirks, a grumpy lawyer and a
charming physician, a fake relationship gone wild, some inappropriate use of a doctor’s
office, and a healthy mix of humor and angst. It stars Benson Lewis, who first appeared in
the book Counterpoint.
Excerpt
Benson stands before us, looking as wrecked as I could ever
imagine seeing him. He’s barely standing upright, and there are dark circles surrounding his
sagging eyes. He’s wearing a wrinkled pair of jogging pants and a shirt that looks like he’s
sweated through it, and his facial expression screams of absolute misery. I simultaneously
feel extremely guilty for knocking on his door and extremely glad that I did. “Benson,” I say
softly. “Migraine?”
He nods, immediately wincing at the head motion. And that
tiny little movement is all the cue I need to start taking charge.
“Elijah, I need you to run to the drug store,” I tell him
quietly. I list off a series of items that Benson likely needs.
“Be right back,” Elijah whispers, though I never warned him
about being quiet. He’s far more astute than his grandparents give him credit for. He runs off
down the hall and I step into Benson’s space, examining him with my eyes. “How long?” I
ask.
“Since the Thai restaurant.”
Shit. Almost twenty-four hours, then. “Have you taken
anything?”
“Just aspirin.” He winces at the ray of light peeking around
the door from the hallway. “Don’t have anything else,” he mumbles. I’m going to make sure
we correct that the second he’s well enough for conversation. But right now, all I want to do
is make him feel better.
“Okay,” I tell him gently. “We’ll fix it, Benson. I’ve got you.
You’re not on your own anymore.”
He stares at me, squinting, and I notice his eyes are wet.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” he says hoarsely.
I startle slightly. I know Benson well enough by now to
know those probably aren’t words he says often.
I guide him gently into the apartment, which is a small
studio with a double bed in one corner and a combination kitchen/living room taking up
most of the space. The curtains are closed tightly. They’re mostly light-blocking, at least. I
surprise him, I think, when I guide him over to the sofa and help him lay down there. “I’m
going to get you some water and change your sheets,” I whisper. “Have you been able to
keep food down?”
He shakes his head slightly.
“Well, I sent Elijah for applesauce and electrolytes. We’ll
see if we can fix that.” I can feel his eyes track me as I make use of what his small space has
to offer. I find a glass of water and help him sit up long enough to take a few sips. When he
shakes his head at me, I don’t push for him to drink more. I find clean sheets and quickly
make his bed, then grab some sweatpants and a Burlington U Law shirt from his dresser.
“C’mon,” I urge him. “Let’s get you into some more comfortable clothes.”
He holds onto my shoulders as I help him step out of his
pants. I look away to give him as much privacy as possible, but Benson draws my attention
back to him when he says, “this isn’t really how I envisioned you getting in my pants for the
first time.”
The corners of his lips are turned up in a hint of a wry grin,
and my heart speeds up. Has he really had those thoughts too? Now is not the time for that
conversation, unfortunately. “Me either,” I tell him, keeping things light as I help him into the
fresh pants and shirt.
I change the sheets on the bed and get him settled into it
before I dampen a washcloth with cool water. Some migraine patients are sensitive to any
kind of touch when they have episodes like this, but Benson sighs with happiness when I lay
the cloth across his forehead.
I sit down gently on the side of his bed. “When Elijah gets
back we’ll try food and more water,” I tell him. “Get excited for that applesauce.”
Benson grimaces. “I’ll try it,” he promises. “I already feel
better than I did. Thank you, Jack.”
I gently take one of his hands, and when he doesn’t object,
I hold it while I rub my thumb against his palm. “Thank you for what?” I ask. I’m not sure
what I’m being thanked for. Changing someone’s sheets and getting them some water when
they’re ill are about the most basic things you can do for another human.
“No one’s ever really done this before. You know. For me,”
he mutters. “Not lately, anyway.”
“Do you get migraines often?” I ask him.
He sighs. “I used to get them a lot more when I was
younger. I thought they were going away. But lately they’ve been getting worse.”
“Who used to take care of you when you got them?” I
ask.
He shrugs into the sheets around him. “I think my nannies
did. Well, some of them anyway. Until they… couldn’t anymore.” Benson grimaces again,
and I decide this isn’t the best time to have this conversation.
“You’re going to be okay,” I tell him. It’s a universal line I’ve
used a million times in my career. Some patients believe it. Some don’t. From Benson’s
expression, I can’t tell where he stands.
“It was worse last night,” he replies. “In the middle of the
night. It was so bad. They’ve gotten worse lately, like I said. I was here, in this bed, and the
pain was so awful I started to wonder if I was going to live through it. And I kept thinking…
kept thinking that I didn’t want to die by myself in a studio apartment. Alone. All by myself.”
He closes his eyes against pain I can’t see, and suddenly I need to be holding more than just
his hand.
“You’re not alone,” I tell him. I lean over farther and graze
his cheek with the fingers of my other hand. It’s a test to see if my touch hurts, but all he
does is lean farther into it. And just like that, I know I’m doing the right thing. “You’re not
alone right now,” I repeat. “And you never have to be alone again. Not if you don’t want to
be. You have me now. Me and Elijah.”
Benson has settled his cheek deep into my hand at this
point. He’s almost nuzzling it. “Not forever,” he mumbles. “Just for now. Just for
pretend.”
About the Author
J.E. Birk was raised in
Vermont and is now adulting in Colorado with intermittent success. She is a long-time lover
of stories, and she writes and reads in worlds where imperfect characters find their happily
ever after. Snag free bonus content and stay up-to-date on J.E. Birk’s news and releases by
signing up for her newsletter.
Luca Moretti is grumpy—and he wouldn’t have it any other
way. Wrangling six—Italian—siblings and the family’s
restaurants would make anyone cranky. But when his mother requests that he save his
aunt’s struggling Italian deli in charming, picturesque Indigo Bay, he has no idea that he’s about to overdose on sweetness. Luca expected his aunt’s stubbornness—she’s a
Moretti, isn’t she?—and his cousin’s resistance to actual work, but the last thing he expected
is the absolute ball of sunshine known as Oliver Billings. Oliver loves Indigo Bay. Loves owning his small
artisan bakery, Sweetie Pie’s. Helps nice old ladies cross the street. Even volunteers for the
local Sweethearts Festival. Sweet isn’t really Luca’s style, or so he thinks. But
when he discovers Oliver can be a little spicy too, his prickly exterior begins to crumble like a
well-baked crust. If Luca isn’t careful, he’s going to develop a taste for
sweets—and a particular baker’s pie. And one or two servings will never be
enough.
Excerpt
“Ah, they sent the fixer out.” Oliver sounded amused
again. “I can see it. You’re definitely more of a fixer than a baker.”
Luca shrugged. “I run my family’s four restaurants.
They do not typically need fixing.” Don’t be arrogant, don’t be arrogant. “But
Nonna’s Deli here, it is . . .an investment of ours. Not directly under my control. So I’m not
here to order changes but to . . .suggest them. Nicely.”
“Which is how they’ve managed to underperform all
these years,” Oliver said with another of those smirks. They shouldn’t have been so
frustratingly attractive. But Luca felt them deep down, stirring him up in a way he hadn’t
expected.
Oliver was definitely a very attractive package, one
he’d love to unwrap.
Would he be as sweet as promised? Or a little salty
too? Maybe even a bit spicy?
“You could say that,” Luca said. “Part of the proposed
changes are aligning the menu more directly with our other restaurants. And that includes
fresh bread, daily. Nonna’s here doesn’t have the staff, the resources, or the equipment to
do this, but you do.”
“I do,” Oliver conceded. “My schedule’s already pretty
packed, but I suppose I could fit you in. French bread? Sourdough bread? Focaccia? Rolls?
Loaves? How many dozen per day?”
Luca liked every part of Oliver he’d seen so far. He
was charming and sweet and undeniably adorable. Then there was how goddamned sexy he
was when he got down to business.
“I’m not sure yet,” Luca said. “In fact, they may not
need any at all. Giana and Enzo have my proposed changes, but they are not required to
accept all of them—or any of them, actually.”
“You must hate that, not being able to actually
impose your control over them.” Oliver said it casually, like a true control-freak business
owner, like he understood.
How did Oliver know how much he hated it? Was it
that obvious? Was it written all over his face that he’d love nothing more than to march
down the street and tell Giana and Enzo exactly what to do?
“Yes,” Luca admitted.
“Nonna’s isn’t just an Italian affectation, is it? Was
there actually a Nonna?” Oliver asked.
“My grandmother.”
“Ah, well, there you go.” Oliver leaned back, grinning.
Luca wanted to chase him, but he stayed on his side of the table, with what he thought was
pretty admirable restraint.
“So why does Enzo dislike you so much?” Luca
asked.
“That’s a long story. And I’ve got to tend to these
rolls. If they overproof . . .” Oliver shrugged. “I’m a perfectionist, what can I
say?”
“If he supposedly turns against you every chance he
gets, what’s he going to say,” Luca said, deploying the most persuasive smile in his arsenal,
“when he finds out I want to hire you to bake our bread? I need the insider info. Need to be
able to convince him it’s a good idea.”
“It’s not going to help you, and you’re not
going to like it,” Oliver said. “Though, you sorta look like there’s plenty of things you don’t
like.”
But I like you. “You’re not wrong.” It was hard to admit it, but there it was. He was particular, okay?
Particular and more than a little arrogant about his particularity.
Maybe it was good Oliver knew that now, even if all
they ever had was a date and a night—though even that was still up in the air.
“We dated,” Oliver said. His watch beeped, and he
stood, just as he’d left Luca speechless for another long moment. “Well,” he amended, with
a cute little shrug. “It was one date. But still. He wanted to continue. I did not. And that’s the
story.”
“That wasn’t a very long story,” Luca managed, and
was he trailing after Oliver in his own bakery like a lost puppy looking for his owner? Yes, he
was, a little.
About the Author
A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with
her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just
as weird in Raleigh.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first
foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope
springs eternal. She has published over forty novels and novellas.
A world-weary Sherlock
Holmes scholar loses his job and his sanity when the great detective materializes in his flat
to help solve a mystery that involves a handsome male stranger. What ensues is a thrilling
adventure in literature, London, and love.
Blurb
Andrew Thomas just got sacked. He’s permanently drunk.
He’s got cancer. Is inescapably gay. Was hit by a bus. And he’s fallen in love with a stranger
whose life he saved.
As a newly-unemployed Sherlock Holmes scholar, Andrew
knows only Holmes can help him untangle the madness his life has become, but Holmes isn’t
real. Except he absolutely appeared in Andrew’s house, told him he’s in love with a man he
just met…and then in a fit of pique Andrew sent him away.
Sure Holmes is probably a hallucination or a specter or a
ghost, but now Andrew desperately needs his help. So to find the answer to his case and the
man of his dreams, Andrew takes to chasing a fictional character through London with his
very own Watson.
Excerpt
While strolling amid the students and scholars rushing into
the University of London, I ignored the urge to check my pocket watch.
If there was ever a day to dawdle, it was today. The first day
of summer that actually felt like the season it claimed to be. And the day of my personal
disaster.
It wasn’t a ‘this train will split at the next station and you
just sat down with your meal deal’ disaster, but it was equally inconvenient. After decades of
laboring in academia, I was about to become involuntarily unemployed. Apart from that –
and this might be even more important – I was also going to die.
To delay the confrontation a bit longer, I looked for a
shaded place to smoke and then took long, luxurious drags on my cigarette. A cough
struggled to tear itself free from my chest, but I suppressed it. Not now. Focus.
Few people knew my name or my publications. But some
such people existed – people who were as fascinated by a very specific man as I was, and
who seemed to value my works more than I did. The man I wrote about lived in Baker Street,
and he was partly to blame for my situation. Though I liked to think of myself as a charmingly
anachronistic gentleman, I increasingly felt I was just a dafter in a fine suit who lurked
around public buildings. Instead of engaging in modern life, I was immersed in the world of
Sherlock Holmes and all things Victorian, with the natural effect of many acquaintances
leaving or going extinct. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the company of others; it was that I
struggled in the company of others. And they struggled in the company of me.
You see, the fact that I knew my dearest detective had
appeared on-screen in over two hundred and twenty adaptations did not give me much
hope I would find out what people did for fun. But what of fun? What about achievement?
Holmes is the most filmed novel character of all time – among humans, at least; Dracula has
been filmed even more often. This connection filled me with joy, and I believed it could be
combined in a curious way. Dracula Holmes: he investigates at night because he’s not just a
detective, no – he’s also a vampire. Greedy for blood and knowledge.
I finished my cigarette and stepped from the shadows only
to immediately collide with a young man in the most colorful trainers I’d ever seen. In a split-
second knockout victory, he fell to the ground covered in the flyers he had been holding in
his hand just seconds before.
I bent down immediately to help him. “I’m so sorry,” I said,
quickly picking up his flyers from the pavement. At least those which hadn’t fallen into the
grey puddle right next to us.
“It’s okay,” he said, and he looked at me. His blue eyes
seemed friendly though his gaze was intense.
I quickly looked down again. To my surprise, the flyers
weren’t gig announcements or takeaway adverts. In fact, they were promoting something
very dear to my heart. “I like theater,” I said, handing him back a few of the flyers. “I thought
theater was dead for young people.”
He smiled. “Most young people get run over by perfect
strangers.
That’s why so few make it to the stage. Anyway…I’m still
alive.”
That he was. Alive, handsome, and holding a slim stack of
remaining flyers. Slightly crumpled.
“I’m far from perfect,” I remarked, thinking of the trouble I
had caused him.
About the Author
Yvonne is a bi and nonbinary
writer who dedicates their free time to extending the secret Gay Agenda – in part through
their debut novel A Case of Madness.
Although born and raised in
the north of Germany, Yvonne’s passion for Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who, their sassy
humor, and aversion to talking on public transport made them suspiciously British from early
on.
As a natural matter of cause
and effect, Yvonne moved to London in 2014 and started to write (a novel for the drawer).
No word was written until 2017 when the sudden question of ‘What if I could talk to
Sherlock Holmes?’ came up to them.
Conducting PhD research in
the world’s most extensive Sherlock Holmes collection, located in Minneapolis, USA, was a
great help for answering that question. The result was not a PhD, but their debut novel A Case of Madness,
originally written in German and in a bold move translated by the author themselves when
nobody in Germany understood a word they were saying.
The mean streets of
Manchester are the scene for a blood thirsty gang war. But with battle lines drawn, three
heroes find themselves falling in love at the worst possible time.
The war for supremacy has
begun.
BOOK 2 – NEW RELEASE
Book Title: Everything
Changes
Author: Kristian
Parker
Release Date: April 11,
2023
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Trope: Close proximity
Themes: Gangster, action
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 50 578
words
It is not a standalone book,
but does not end on a cliffhanger
Shaun Moseley is in a trap and it’s all his brother, Liam’ s
fault.
Living a normal life running a B&B in Blackpool, he
finds himself right in the middle of a gang turf war in Manchester. Shaun is an alien in this
horrifying new world of drugs, guns and violence.
Shaun rebels against everyone, isolating himself in the
process. But a terrifying experience opens his eyes to gang member Enzo Ponti. Shaun may
be trapped for the time being, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a little fun along the way,
right?
He dismissed Enzo as just another hired killer but when he
scratches the surface, he finds much more there.
But evil gangster, Jonny Wellingham, wants revenge on the
gang and has set his sights on Shaun. Can he live long enough to find just how deep Enzo’ s
waters are?
Excerpt from Everything Changes
They stood side by side, watching some birds flocking over the
reservoir.
“When I was in a yoga retreat in Kathmandu, they had all sorts
of gay-coloured birds,” Shaun said. “All we have are shitty brown things.”
He kicked a stone.
“I’ve seen you doing your yoga,” Enzo said. “Did you learn it on
your travels? You should come and do some weights with me and Giovanni. It would be far
more beneficial than getting yourself into silly poses.”
“Have you been perving over me then?”
Enzo reddened. “It’s not a big house. You can’t help it.”
Shaun regretted his big mouth. Enzo had done something kind
for him and he should make an effort not to shoot him down every time he tried to speak.
They wandered a little farther down the path.
“It’s weird to think that my whole childhood was spent in that
place,” Shaun said, nodding to Manchester in the distance. “Where did you grow up?”
“I grew up in Rome. Well, a little village about an hour out of
the city. I was very lucky in a lot of ways, but…”
Shaun glanced at him. He found him difficult to read, but there
was definite pain there.
“But what?”
“Being attracted to men was not part of that world. Not until
Uncle Z came. He changed everyone’s view.”
Shaun whirled around. “You’re gay?” he asked in
astonishment.
Enzo raised an eyebrow. “Is it so surprising? Marco. Uncle
Z.”
“Bloody hell,” Shaun said. “My gaydar is way out of sync.”
“Perhaps if you’d spoken to me once in a while, you’d have had
a better chance of figuring me out,” Enzo said.
His words weren’t spiteful but simply stating a fact. A fact
Shaun couldn’t even begin to deny. Embarrassment burnt over his skin. He had been
behaving obstructively since coming to the farm. Now he could see himself through Enzo’s
eyes and he didn’t like it. “Have I been such a bitch?” he ventured.
Enzo glanced over at him and winked. Shaun had noticed that
Enzo was handsome—it was impossible not to. But he hadn’t taken the time to see his dark
brown eyes or the way they crinkled at the sides when he smiled. Whether it was the fact
he’d just saved his life or something deeper, Shaun imagined staring into those eyes and
losing himself.
“We should get back,” he said. “I need to finish tonight’s
dinner. I know my place and I don’t fancy being shouted at by Marco for not doing it.”
“And there he goes,” Enzo muttered. “Back into his shell. You
would find this whole experience a damned sight easier if you were a little nicer to those
around you. We are not all villains, you know.”
Once again, a flash of rage blew through Shaun’s system. He
didn’t want to be schooled in how to be a gangster. Not by anyone, no matter how deep
their eyes were.
“Thank you for the advice on how to survive a fucking gang
war that I want nothing to do with,” he snapped. “I was terrified today, Enzo. Do you
understand what that means? I can’t just toe the line and chuckle while my brother or any of
you go out there time and again. If I get to know you, like you, it just adds to my fears. I can’t
do it. I won’t.”
He was babbling now, but his mouth couldn’t seem to stop. To
his amazement, Enzo came over and wrapped his arms around him. Shaun fitted perfectly,
his head nestling in the crook of Enzo’s neck.
Enzo’s strong arms instantly calmed him and the shivers he had
been battling since he got in the car simply disappeared.
“I get terrified too,” Enzo said softly.
“How do you stand it?”
“I have no idea. You’re not the only one in the whirlpool, I
suppose.”
Shaun looked up just as Enzo stared down at him. Their lips
were almost touching, but then reality hit Shaun like a sledgehammer. Having an affair with
a gangster had put his brother in the hospital. He had no intention of spinning that particular
bottle.
He broke away, trying to ignore the hurt on Enzo’s face.
“They’ll be missing us now,” he said, smoothing down his jacket.
START THE SERIES WITH BOOK 1
Book Title: Fool’s
Gold
Author: Kristian
Parker
Publisher: Pride
Publishing
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron-
Hill
Release Date: March 14,
2023
Genre Contemporary M/M Romance
Tropes: Forbidden love, opposites attract
Themes: Gangster, action
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 52 069 words/233
pages
It is not a standalone book,
but does not end on a cliffhanger
Liam Moseley has been living a lie ever since he joined
Manchester’s notorious crime boss Jonny Wellingham ten years ago. Liam is gay, and that
could get him killed in the deadly world he has fallen into.
When he meets handsome Italian Marco Ponti, Liam’s
whole world is turned on its head. Marco is in town looking for business opportunities for
his uncle in Rome, and makes Liam see his life in a brand-new light.
But all is not as it seems, especially when Marco shows
Liam the past isn’t always as it appears and the future can change in the blink of an eye. In a
dangerous world where each job could be Liam’s last, he finds himself fighting for love as
well as survival.
Liam will have to put everything he holds dear on the line
to make his dreams come true.
Excerpt from Fool’s Gold
“So you’re Manchester born and bred?” Marco
asked.
“Can’t you tell by the accent?” Liam replied.
Marco beamed. “I love the Manc accent. It’s
so…expressive.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard it called that before,” Liam
said. “I’d rather have an Italian one.”
“You find it sexy?”
Marco’s eyes dared him to answer honestly. Something
about this guy gave Liam confidence. No man had ever had this effect on him. “Yeah, I do,”
he replied before glancing down.
“Why do you do that?” Marco asked, leaning forward, his
elbows on the table.
“Do what?” he asked.
“Break eye contact every time you say something. Are you
ashamed?”
Liam shifted uncomfortably. “No, it’s not that.”
“Tell me what it is, then?” Marco asked, his voice soothing
and sincere.
“I guess I don’t think I have anything to say worth listening
to,” he replied, eventually.
To his astonishment, Marco’s foot connected with his leg.
The pressure told him it was absolutely on purpose.
“I respectfully disagree, Liam. I think I’d listen to you.
Whatever you had to say.”
He had that burning sensation on his neck again. It had
made him so paranoid at school.
“Sorry, I have made you blush,” Marco continued.
“Don’t worry about it. I always bloody blush. They called
me Po at school because of it.”
Marco frowned. “What?”
“The red Teletubby?” Liam expected him to burst into that
laughter again. Most people did when he confided this, but instead, Marco just shook his
head.
“Kids can be so cruel. But who cares? They are in your
past.”
“Yeah, they’re probably sweeping up shit in the hospital
now. Serves them right.”
This time Marco did seem amused. “Said with true passion.
I like it. So, what do you do, Liam?”
Here it came. The inevitable question. He could hardly say
he was a lackey for one of the biggest gangsters in the northwest of England, so he reverted
to his stock answer. “Oh, you know, bit of this, bit of that. How about you?”
“As I said, my uncle works in shipping. I’m over here seeing
if there is any potential to expand to Manchester.”
Liam nodded. “The city is booming. You could do a lot
worse.”
“That’s what I thought. I like what I see more and
more.”
The look which followed that statement practically oozed
with intent. This time, Liam forced himself to meet Marco’s gaze. “I’ve never been to Italy,
but maybe I should,” he replied. “Rome seems pretty good from where I’m sitting.”
“Ah, you definitely should,” Marco said, leaning back. “It is
beautiful. I’ve been the length and breadth of it with my job. I worked in Venice recently. Bellissima.”
Liam had seen pictures of the water world on television.
“Better than the canals in Manchester. They’re just full of shopping trolleys and used
condoms.”
Marco laughed again. It was so loud and carefree that Liam
had to stop himself from looking around to see if anyone noticed. But he forced himself to
relax and ended up giggling along with him. It had been so long since he’d done something
like this.
“This is better,” Marco said.
“What is?”
“You are relaxing. You seemed very tense earlier,” Marco
said. “I thought perhaps you’d changed your mind about me.”
“Oh, nothing like that,” Liam said hurriedly. “It’s just that
I’m not out, you see. I don’t normally do this.”
Marco’s stunning eyes widened. “Who isn’t out these
days?”
Shaking his head, Liam took a swig of his drink. “Me,” he
said, placing the drink down. “In my line of work, it isn’t the done thing.”
A group of lads banged through the door. Liam frantically
scanned each face but didn’t recognise any of them.
“Wow. I can’t imagine being in the closet. At my eighteenth
birthday party, I came out. I figured if I had to enter adulthood, people should know what
they were dealing with. Although I like to make a statement now and then. It keeps them on
their toes.”
The lads were being quite rowdy. Even the barman
appeared nervous.
“You’re very brave,” Liam said.
“Not really. My uncle is gay too, so it was a well-beaten
path. No one in our family cares as long as you’re healthy and happy.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Marco chuckled, but Liam couldn’t relax. He watched the
group of lads out of the corner of his eye. He could spot trouble a mile off, and these lads
were desperate for it.
“We’re a long way from perfect, believe me,” Marco said.
“But we get by.”
Liam drained his glass. “You want another?”
Marco shook his head. “There are a lot of things I’d like
from you, Liam…but another drink is not one of them.”
The change in tempo took Liam by surprise. Heat crept over
his face and he didn’t know what to say in return. He had never been any good at the whole
game-playing thing. “Just nipping to the loo,” he managed before bolting for the
door.
BOOK 3 – COMING SOON – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-
ORDER
Book Title: Don’t Look
Back In Anger
Author: Kristian
Parker
Release Date: May 30,
2023
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Trope: Second chance love
Themes: Gangster, action
Length: 50 123
words
Heat Rating: 4 flames
It is not a standalone book,
but does not end on a cliffhanger.
Revenge is best served cold, yet old embers can burn hot.
Lorenzo de Luca has come back to Manchester with revenge on his mind.
Supposedly killed by evil gangster Jonny Wellingham’s hitmen fifteen years ago, Lorenzo has
waited a long time for this. He has to stay focused. And he does…until a past lover comes
back into his life.
But old embers can spark a flame and the couple pick up where they left off—but the war
has only just begun, and everyone is fair game…and Lorenzo’s distraction gives Jonny the
opportunity he needs to strike a deadly blow.
Torn between his burning need for vengeance and the scorching heat of love, which will
Lorenzo sacrifice?
Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence, murder, organised crime, sex
work, and drugs trafficking. There are also instances of homophobia.
About the Author
I have written for as long as I
could write. In fact, before, when I would dictate to my auntie. I love to read, and I love to
create worlds and characters.
I live in the English
countryside. When I’m not writing, I like to get out there and think through the next scenario
I’m going to throw my characters into.
Inspiration can be found
anywhere, on a train, in a restaurant or in an office. I am always in search of the next
character to find love in one of my stories. In a world of apps and online dating, it is
important to remember love can be found when you least expect it.
Book Title: Love
Beneath the Stars: A Matchmaker Wedding Novella
Author: Claerie Kavanaugh
Publisher: Half Caff Press
Cover Artist: Lauren Dombrowski
Release Date: April 26, 2023
Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance
Tropes: Age gap, celebrity, matchmaker, wedding
Themes: Coming out, forgiveness
Heat Rating: 3
flames
Length: 30 000
words
It is a standalone story in the
Entertaining Love series.
They say love conquers all,
but what if getting it means losing your family?
Blurb
After years of searching, a job
gone wrong finally led Hollywood’s most famous matchmaker Eve to her soulmate in up-
and-coming starlet Jemma Mason. For a year, they had pictured their perfect destination
Valentine’s Day wedding. But when Jemma’s family arrives from Montana, they quickly learn
perfection is hard to come by.
Jemma’s conservative brother
has always been distant, but when he meets his sister’s fiancée, who is seven years her
senior, he worries she’s moving way too fast and refuses to come to the wedding, let alone
keep his promise to walk her down the aisle. Can love really conquer all, or are there some
wounds that simply run too deep to be buried?
Eve and Jemma’s Wedding Novella. Sequel to LOVE AMONG
THE STARS in the standalone sapphic celebrity romance series ENTERTAINING LOVE.
About the Author
Claerie Kavanaugh has spent
most of her life telling stories, but she never imagined herself writing romance. In fact, she
used to think it should only be reserved for Hallmark movies. It wasn’t until college, when
she discovered fanfiction, that she learned what romance was truly about: not just fluffy
relationships and happily-ever-afters, but human connection, the desire to push one another
to be better, and create hope that somewhere, somehow, everyone has
someone.
When she’s not writing, she
loves to travel and explore new cultures, helping other authors polish their works as a
freelance editor, and singing while doing so. Broadway musicals are her soul-food,
something her mother and sister know well. She constantly blasts the newest soundtrack
through the halls of their Missouri home, much to the chagrin of her very sassy and spoiled
cat.
